One side of McBride Avenue in Crescent Beach will be off-limits to parking this summer, and two-hour limits will be imposed on stretches of Sullivan and Beecher streets, as part of City of Surrey efforts to alleviate traffic and pedestrian conflicts in the popular seaside community.
Council on Monday (April 22) gave the nod to the measures – along with several other “limited parking and walking enhancements in focused locations” – after considering recommendations in a staff report.
Many were suggested by residents, the report notes, although feedback – including that received through a survey – “was mixed and differentiated when considering modifications to parking versus the need for off-street sidewalks/pathways and accessibility improvements.”
Some survey respondents opposed any changes that could boost the number of vehicles coming to the beach. The area is already “at capacity for cars,” notes one. “No more parking. There’s too many cars down here,” writes another.
Safety was key for many who weighed in, with some calling for increased bylaw enforcement and others for a shuttle between the beach and a lot up the hill.
Residents asked the city in early 2022 for help addressing traffic and parking concerns, suggesting pay parking, speed bumps and a resident-parking permit system would boost safety and reduce congestion.
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In a December 2023 report, staff recommended developing a “parking and walking enhancement concept.”
Other steps supported by council Monday include: a review of existing on-street parking signage, sightlines and parking hours; increased way-finding signage to Blackie Spit at the entrance to Crescent Beach; the addition of on-street parking fronting the vacant city lot at 12254 Beecher St.; completing “gaps” in sidewalk connections along Sullivan Street; and creating new, accessible walkways on Wickson Road, Target Street and Alexandra Street.
According to a timeline in the report, work to remove unauthorized obstructions and signs within the public road allowance is to continue into May, along with efforts to educate area residents of the bylaws. Infraction notices will be issued as necessary, it adds.
New parking signs as well as the wayfinding signage to the Blackie Spit lot are to be installed next month, followed by the creation in June of 25 on-street parking spots, including fronting the city-owned lot.
The June work will also “provide a continuous walkway from transit stops to and from the beach and parking lot,” the report states.
Throughout, city staff will be keeping tabs on parking demand during peak periods – and whether the steps taken are successful – to determine if any future work is needed.