On too many afternoons, I peek out my Lower Lonsdale kitchen window and see traffic at a standstill, backed up from the Ironworkers’ Memorial Second Narrows Bridge.
We on the North Shore live with gridlock, the result of growth without smart planning, especially in North Vancouver City. From the hi-rise hub at Seylynn Village, to LoLo’s towers, to the sprawling Harbourside Development and more: bottlenecks, logjams and frustration. All this will get messier still as the City charges ahead with a Central Lonsdale hi-rise hub. The latest: a 22-story tower at 15th and Lonsdale.
This is life in our city, and the recent so-called Mobility Strategy has no answers, just a push for scooters, bicycles and walking to replace the vehicles that 70% of us use as primary transport. Major transit projects? Nothing. Council approves developments, but fails to provide the infrastructure to support the intelligent and efficient movement of people and goods in our city. More than ever, we need real rapid transit.
We can do better.
We can do better at planning, supporting and executing growth. We can do better at ending housing and business tax increases that put an unfair burden on renters, owners and businesses. Tax increases make housing less affordable and hinder economic growth.
We can do better at making bloated city government more efficient. We can do better at listening to the ideas and concerns of those caught in the crossfire of haphazard development. We can certainly do a better job with our democracy.
I am running for council in North Vancouver City because I hear this daily: “They don’t listen to us. What’s the point?”
The “they” is a city council and mayor seen as detached and unresponsive. If elected, I commit to regular town halls where we can share ideas and concerns in an informal setting. I will listen; my sole agenda is you.
I am running because the last major transportation project on the North Shore was the Ironworkers Bridge. Construction began in 1957. North Shore councils have failed to secure our fair share of TransLink’s billions. The North Shore is the ONLY large population region without rapid transit or commuter rail.
I am running because it’s time to end out-of-control city spending. Despite a $1.5 million increase in non-tax revenue this year, council hammered taxpayers with a 4.0% tax increase, a nearly 4% increase last year, and 4.4% the year before that. Taxes on taxes on taxes, compounding. The City’s Finance Department just added three new analysts and a manager, yet together they cannot find ways to protect strapped taxpayers from a crushing tax burden.
We can do better. Please help elect me to council and help me prove it. For more, go to www.cato4council.ca
I agree wholeheartedly, the development has out paced infrastructure and has decreased livability on the NS to a massive extent. It’s ridiculous, how does the city council justify more development? Are they paying attention? I have to wonder.
You are right on Jeremy. If I can suggest a good starting point, revisit the central Lonsdale OCP for 17th street on up to the highway, that was quietly changed in 2014 (old guidelines – nothing over 6 stories, new guide/zoning to allow 18 stories at multiple sites, including a council vote that cleared the way for 30 stories at 23rd).
That’s right, this current council voted and allowed for over 800 living units, likely good for some 2000 people to be built upon parks and rec land at the ‘Harry Jerome’ site, whilst bulldozing Norseman field and soccer pitch – UNBELIEVABLE!! – sell and develop parks and rec land – while adding huge numbers of people. Don’t worry, one former Mayor figures we can always play on the sidewalks!
So what are your plans for rapid transit and commuter rail? Are your ideas different from proposals we seen so far or will you piggyback on others work…there always be a two-lane bottleneck to and from the Cut…solution? Thanks.