Residents on First Street say their once peaceful neighbourhood has become the latest commuter thoroughfare thanks to ratrunners using the park street as a shortcut.
Following recent success by Victoria Hill residents over ratrunners using their small community as a shortcut to the Pattullo Bridge, Romeo Di Pietra is speaking out about problems he and his neighbours are facing on First Street.
"First Street has become like a thoroughfare now, and it's especially worse between 3 and 6 p.m. with people bypassing Royal (Avenue) and coming down First Street to get onto the bridge," he said.
What was once a quiet residential street, used mostly by residents and pedestrians accessing Queen's Park, is now a bustling street for commuters looking to jump the line on to the Pattullo Bridge, Di Pietra told The Record.
While most commuters were discouraged from using Victoria Hill as a short cut when the city installed a 'no left-hand turn' sign at Memorial Drive and McBride Boulevard, Di Pietra says the solution to First Street residents' problem isn't that easy - there's already a 'no left-hand turn' sign at First Street and Royal Avenue.
"Even though it has a 'no left-hand turn' (sign), that doesn't mean anything, they still make left-hand turns," he said.
According to the sign posted at the bottom of First Street - which Di Pietra said has been there for about five to seven years - it is illegal to make left-hand turns onto Royal Avenue between 3 and 6 p.m.
But commuters don't seem to care, Di Pietra said.
"When we first moved in there was no stop light, and I don't know why in God's Earth they actually ever put a stop light in there. It's ridiculous," he said.
On a daily basis commuters cut down First Street and make the illegal left turn onto Royal, allowing them to flow easily onto the Pattullo Bridge. When The Record visited Di Pietra at his home one afternoon, car after car made the illegal turn as if it was no big deal.
"Most of the time there's a lineup. Occasionally it's a stream of cars whizzing by," he added. "The other thing that, especially in rush hour, is what they're doing is people going down McBride and then they can't cut into the bridge (traffic), they come over and drive up to First Street, turn into my driveway and go through the light and onto the bridge."
Di Pietra said he and his wife, Gail, have contacted the City of New Westminster and the New Westminster police about the problem but no one has provided any solutions.
The couple sees police officers out ticketing people, but it's not on a regular basis so it doesn't stop many drivers, Di Pietra said.
According to Staff Sgt. Trevor Dudar, the officer in charge of New Westminster police's traffic section, the department is "well-aware of the issue at First Street and they have done enforcement."
"This location is one of many locations in New Westminster where targeted enforcement occurs based on public complaints. The frequency of the enforcement varies and is on-going," he added.
