Coquitlam council calling for better highway signage

COQUITLAM (NEWS1130) – Some motorists in Coquitlam don’t like the signs around the Port Mann Bridge.

After hearing from drivers, Coquitlam council is urging the Transportation Ministry to change new signage along Highway 1 near the Cape Horn.

Mayor Richard Stewart says people are getting “diverted” because signs along Highway 1 are just too difficult to follow.

He’s worried some may even get hurt. “Our residents and motorists generally say the signage is confusing. We have to find ways to make the signage inform people rather than just conform to their (Transportation Ministry) standards for signage,” says Stewart.

He says he wants to get the signage right. “Let’s make it so that people can actually find their way through the largest interchange in BC, at the Cape Horn.”

He says a lot of drivers aren’t familiar with the route numbers alone posted on the signs. “We’re looking for the generic name, Highway 7 is called Lougheed Highway, Mary Hill Bypass is what we use, no one uses Highway 7b,” he adds.

He says even his GPS doesn’t acknowledge the numbers. “I checked my GPS and it doesn’t use numbers but uses generic names.  If you’re a tourist you’re going to be completely bewildered,” says Stewart.

Council has sent a letter to the province asking for those signs to be changed to make it easier to understand.

In a written statement, Transportation Minister Mary Polak says she hasn’t heard directly from Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart, and only became aware of this issue in the media.

“The ministry has been working with communities in the Tri-cities as the project has progressed, and will continue to do so,” she says. “In response to Mayor Stewart’s concerns, I have asked staff to contact his office and work to resolve his concerns.”