The City of Burnaby has a new plan to make some of its residential streets safer and prettier.
Most local roads — roughly 75 per cent — already meet the municipality’s minimum standards, but many outside city centres do not.
“Early development in Burnaby resulted in neighbourhoods with narrow pavement and a gravel shoulder without a sidewalk or concrete curb and gutter,” states the interim local street upgrade strategy presented to council on Monday.
The city usually shares costs for new boulevards with local developers and property owners, but this has left some neighbourhoods lagging behind. The new plan would see the city take on all costs.
This would cost taxpayers an additional $1.5 million a year, for a total annual cost of $4 million.
City staff suggested three top-priority areas:
- Madison Avenue, Charles Street and Graveley Street
- Macpherson Avenue, Marine Drive and Eleanor Street
- Buller Avenue, Keith Street and Gilley Avenue
These “critical links” would make it safer for pedestrians to get to schools, parks community centres and SkyTrain stations, the report says.
The city would coordinate the addition of sidewalks and streetlights to be installed at the same time as sewer, water and pavement improvements in the area, potentially cutting down on costs by 20 per cent.
The report also suggests council consider passing a bylaw requiring residents to maintain the grass in the boulevard in front of their house.
