For those in the New Westminster area (or those just interested in it!), we’re holding a set of four Sapperton community/United Boulevard Extension hands-on workshops in March and April. (Plus one reporting-out meeting in May!)

They’re planned to be quite different from earlier discussions on the United Boulevard area, which centred around presenting options for a roadway extension (try this post for more info on the earlier open houses).

Instead, these workshops are going to be a broad consultation with the community, asking you to identify the transportation issues and help come up with solutions to fit your neighbourhood.

The first two are coming up on Saturday, March 12 and Wednesday, March 16, 2011, and here are the details:

Share your transportation concerns
Saturday, March 12, 2011
9:30 a.m. to noon
Sapperton Pensioners Hall
318 Keary Street, New Westminster
Google map

Share your ideas
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Sapperton Pensioners Hall
318 Keary Street, New Westminster
Google map

United Boulevard Extension is a necessary part of a safe, reliable, connected and consistent North Fraser Perimeter Road for goods movement. The UBE needs to be sensitive to local values and local community concerns. It also needs to be part of an integrated corridor-level vision.

We are committed to listening to you and getting your input to help shape the solutions for the extension and your neighbourhood. Share your concerns and ideas at these two hands-on workshops, and watch for more opportunities to get involved!

Btw: if you join us at TransLink’s Facebook page, we’ve added the workshops as upcoming events that you can put in your calendar.

You can also check out our Sapperton/United Boulevard Extension page for more info on the project, as well as the public summary from the earlier set of open houses in 2010.

And stay tuned: tomorrow, I’ll have an interview with Gary Andrishak, who is facilitating the workshops, which goes into a LOT more detail on the workshops’ approach and what to expect! Edit: Here’s the interview with Gary!

Please do pass this note along to anyone who might be interested!