Monday, July 9, 2012

A new option for McBurney Lane

As you may know, I’ve been following the saga of the redesign of McBurney Lane for a while. The City of Langley wanted to convert the lane into a pedestrian corridor that connects to Douglas Park while some local merchants wanted to keep it as a parking lot that according to the City “will not achieve the desired revitalization plan for McBurney Lane."

Sadly it looked like the parking lots option was going to be future for the lane, but as of Friday afternoon the City has submitted a new plan that offers a compromise.

New Option 5 for McBurney Lane
The proposed south view of the lane

The [new] recommended Option 5 design concept for McBurney Lane offers a compromise which will meet the objectives of all parties. The North portion, without the water feature, will offer a new pavement treatment with soft landscape improvements.

The South portion will off the same pavement treatment as will as landscaping improvements. This option offers the most versatility for the south portion. The space will be available for parking; however, it can be transformed for events by closing the parking area and making McBurney Lane an attractive location to host community events.

The continuous design of McBurney Lane from north to south should hopefully signal to motorist that this is a shared space and that pedestrians are a priority. While the new proposed design is indeed a compromise, it is likely the only alternative that could be supported by all parties. I certainly hope that Council supports this revised design as opposed to the original asphalt parking lot design.

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