It’s the nightmare on Cliveden Avenue.
People who work on Annacis Island are facing hour-long waits to leave their jobs because of the number of people using the island as a shortcut on their commutes.
“It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to go probably a kilometer and a half,” says Megan Larsen, Vice-President at Mason Lift Product Support.
Her company is one of many on the industrial park island that have signed a petition, saying businesses are at long-term risk.
“We can’t afford to move into another location. I don’t think Annacis Island is going to be an attractive industrial island for anybody else, so no one is going to want to buy your building. It’s terrifying.”
People have used the island as a way to bypass a stretch of Highway 91 by doing illegal left turns and u-turns, in the hope of saving 20 to 30 minutes.
Police have issued over 1,800 tickets this year, but to no avail, as there as simply too many vehicles employing the strategy on a daily basis.
The City of Delta is calling on the provincial government to step in.
“We at the local level have done everything we can. The Minister has said he’ll be do whatever he can but we’re waiting for his staff to come up with a solution,” said Mayor Lois Jackson.