Langley Township council unceremoniously canned the unpopular plan to turn 208th Street into a truck route at Monday night's meeting.

Four residents were scheduled to speak in opposition to the plan, but before they could get up, Mayor Rick Green called for a vote on the matter.

A motion by Councillor Mel Kositsky was brought forward calling for the truck route to be taken off the table.

The motion was passed unanimously by the six of nine council members at the table.

"We understand the frustration that has gone on in the community," said Green.

With the truck route plans dead, two of four Willoughby and Walnut Grove area residents who had planned to speak decided to sit it out.

However, Carrie Randall, one of the major organizers of opposition to the plan, still wanted to have her say.

"I was just shocked that this would even come up," she said, urging the council to consult more with residents on future major decisions.

Sonya Paterson, another truck route opponent, spoke about concerns with council's decision making process.

Kositsky's motion calls for the Township to look into whether it can get Major Road Network (MRN) status for 208th without turning it into a truck route.

"I think we need to be vigilant with TransLink in some of the new rules and regulations that are coming forward," Kositsky said.

Roads in TransLink's MRN are eligible for more funding; adding 208th Street to the network would have made the Township eligible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding.

The stretch of 208th Street involved runs from 62nd Avenue north to 96th Avenue.

It was intended to replace some truck routes that were removed from the MRN after the Albion Ferry closed.

Truck routes allow large vehicles to use them at all times. Trucks such as dump trucks or large delivery trucks can drive on local roads, but only to get to stores or construction sites. They can't use them to criss-cross the community.

The truck route controversy galvanized many of Willoughby's newer residents, and it was one of the first times that neighbourhood has taken a firm stand in Township politics.

- This story first appeared as breaking news at www.langleyadvance.com

mclaxton@langleyadvance.com