Could an extra lane on ‘The Cut’ help relieve North Shore traffic woes?

Could an extra lane on a notoriously congested stretch of Highway 1 through North Vancouver provide a little relief for frustrated North Shore commuters?

District of North Vancouver city council has asked city staff to look into the idea, which would involve widening the area known as “The Cut” from Lynn Valley Road to the Mountain Highway.

Coun. Jim Hanson, who pitched the idea at council this week, told Global News that local North Shore drivers find themselves caught in gridlock traffic bound for the Ironworkers Memorial bridge on a near daily basis.

“As I make my way at a crawl down towards Mountain Highway I look to my right and there’s a shoulder on which we could put a lane. So my proposal is let’s pave that shoulder,” he said.

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Hanson argues the expansion would be an “inexpensive” way to help local commuters who aren’t trying to get off the North Shore travel travel more easily in the community.

District of North Vancouver Mayor Mike Little said he supports the idea, adding that he’s seen the problems that frustrated North Shore drivers personally.

“It’s a daily challenge for people on the North Shore — my son was in a swimming lesson and it was on the wrong side of that mess every afternoon, and it was such a headache … we were bisected by the highway,” he said.

Little said he will pen a letter to Minister of Transportation Rob Fleming to push the idea.

He said with the province’s new legislation mandating greater housing density, the government needs to step up with additional support.

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“As our community grows, we need to see the infrastructure grow with it, and this is one of the steps we can take,” he said.

“The land is already owned, the land is already there, this is one of the ones we could probably move on relatively quickly.”

Fleming told Global News he was aware of the proposal and was willing to look at it “in the context of a larger discussion” led by TransLink around the transportation network connecting to the North Shore.

“We understand the frustration in North Vancouver and the problem of congestion there,” he said.

Fleming pointed to the recent $200 million Lower Lynn Improvement Project as an example of the province’s commitment to deal with North Shore traffic.

He also pointed to upgrades to transit service to the region as a key pillar of the government’s approach to addressing North Shore congestion.