Road work on Oak Street is forcing congestion and speeding cars into neighbourhoods
Accidents and impatient drivers have Marpole residents fearing for their safety
By BOB HOMER
Residents of Marpole are reporting increasingly dangerous driving behaviour as construction forces motorists on to unprepared roads.
Charles Gauthier, a long-time resident of the area, noted that many motorists are avoiding Oak Street due to the construction and rerouting through narrow residential streets.
“Drivers were actually running through the neighbourhood at pretty high speeds,” he said.
The construction aims to replace aging infrastructure with a higher-capacity separated sewer system as part of the city’s 2023-26 capital plan.
It covers Oak Street, West 70th Avenue, and Fremlin Street, a key area that links Vancouver to Richmond and Vancouver International Airport. The project, which began in October 2023, is scheduled for completion by spring 2025.
Photo by Bob Homer
Community getting together
Gauthier has voiced his concerns on the Marpole community Facebook group, where other residents have shared frustrations over what they describe as a growing safety issue.
“Narrowly missed getting hit twice on Friday coming home by people doing stupid things because they are frustrated by the traffic,” Nika Nielsen wrote in the group chat.
According to the City of Vancouver, they received approximately 360 complaints related to the project since it began.
The city receives data on collisions and traffic incidents mainly from the Vancouver Police Department and ICBC. The city said in an email to the Voice, that “there is a lag between when incidents occur and when the city receives the data.”
Not just dangerous driving behaviours
Fernando Figueroa, a construction worker involved in the project, pointed to wider traffic increases across the Metro Vancouver area. However, according to him, pedestrians also play a role in the current traffic situation.
“Especially with [pedestrians] walking on their phones and walking in construction areas where it’s restricted,” Figueroa said. “They have to pay more attention to their surroundings.”
As construction progresses, residents remain concerned about the ongoing traffic challenges and the need for better enforcement to prevent further safety risks in the community.
Despite the inconvenience, Gauthier sees the upgrades as necessary for the neighborhood’s future growth. He said that “what we need to do is find a balance” for the situation in the area now to allow the construction to get done without further accidents.
