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Letters: Closing Richmond dyke access 'short-sighted'

A letter writer thinks a set of wooden stairs to access the dyke is the solution.
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Local residents are upset that a pathway to help people access the Fraser River dyke near Gibbons Drive was removed.

Dear Editor,

Re: "Richmond residents raise safety concerns as city removes popular dyke pathway"

This is in response to your article about the city closing off access to the dyke from Gibbons Drive.

My question to the city, the mayor and councillors is: If you are all concerned about our safety, why not build a proper wooden staircase? That is the safest solution.

Don’t we pay enough taxes to have money to build something that will benefit our community and keep our neighbours safe? Closing it off and simply putting grass is short-sighted.

It creates neither safety (because people will now have to climb up over grass) nor help the public who need access to the dyke to keep active.

Expecting people to access the dyke from marked access points on No. 1 Road and/or Lynas Lane is dangerous and unsafe because we will have to walk along River Road, where there are no sidewalks and a lot of drivers don’t respect the speed limit.

Our mayor is always stating that his goal is to make Richmond a livable and active community.

How is closing this pathway supporting that goal?

Rae Dunlop

Richmond

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