Maple Drive area residents asked to support street lighting on dangerous route

The Alternate Approval process is now underway for street lighting on Maple Drive in the Red Bluff area of Quesnel.

Mary Sjostrom is the Cariboo Regional District Director for Area A…

“We’ve sent out all the information.   The capital costs will be covered by our grant that we got from ICBC, and it will be the balance of the maintenance and installation, that will fall to the residents, and that works out to approximately $7.31 per 100 thousand.”

Sjostrom says more than a thousand residents are eligible to respond…

“At our local meeting that we had, and we weren’t able to have another one because of COVID, they wanted the catchment area to be expanded, so that’s what we’ve done and that’s the process that we’re moving forward with.    They do have the opportunity, if residents want more information they can certainly contact me or the Cariboo Regional District, or if they’re not in favour, they can certainly fill out the form that was sent to them saying that they object.”

Sjostrom says residents have until November 16th to respond…

“And I think it’s important to note that if we get over 10 percent of the population not wishing to proceed, it doesn’t mean that the service won’t happen, what the next step will be is to go to referendum.   That’s another additional cost, so I’m really hoping we’ll be able to avoid that, but ultimately it is up to the residents who have to pay that additional money.”

Sjostrom says the alternate approval process is a less expensive way to gauge the public’s support, which is why they went that route.

If approved, 23 street lights will be installed along the route to improve safety in the area.

A pedestrian, a 32-year old woman, was struck and killed in a collision on Maple Drive near Kube Road in January of 2019.

There is also a lot more logging truck traffic along that route to the Plywood plant now, as they are no longer permitted to use the Johnston Bridge in Quesnel.

Weight restrictions were placed on that bridge after corrosion was discovered during an inspect that was done last year.