As New Westminster residents prepare to vote, we want to call attention to Mayor Patrick Johnstone’s steadfast commitment to road safety. Over his term as Mayor he has worked to build out the active transportation network, improve the pedestrian experience, and develop a multi-agency Vision Zero task force for the city.
We don’t endorse candidates lightly, but Johnstone has proven that he not only talks the talk but walks the walk. His commitments to road safety have made a real difference.
Active Transportation Network
Johnstone’s work on this file predates his role as Mayor, first having introduced a motion seeking faster work on a connected active transportation network as a Councillor in September 2021. Council unanimously adopted the resulting All Ages and Abilities Active Transportation Network Plan in October 2022, and directed staff to develop a strategy to finance it.
While plans are great, we care about action. So does Johnstone: back in 2022 when reviewing his agenda for the next 4 years, he told reporters that the network was still only “lines on a map”. The next test was finding room in the capital budget and setting a construction timeline. Since then he has done so, and exhibited real bravery in public office as progress on the network has steadily continued, despite sometimes facing very vocal opposition. In his term, New Westminster has added protected lanes on 6th Street and on 7th Avenue, connecting most of uptown to the main commercial area as well as to New West Secondary School.
Pedestrian Improvements
More people walk when walking is nice. It’s simple really. Johnstone championed several projects to improve the pedestrian experience and the public realm in the city, including the 6th Street Uptown road diet and improvements which created beautiful new pedestrian gathering spaces, wider sidewalks, and narrower vehicle travel lanes. Throughout the city we’ve also seen new raised crosswalks, pedestrian seating areas, improved crossings and intersections, a beautiful new plaza at 6th and Belmont, and more.
Under Mayor Johnstone, New Westminster also expanded school zone speed limits to be in effect 24/7/365. And, unlike the nearly 6 years it took the City of Vancouver to complete this project after passing it in 2020, New Westminster passed a motion in late May 2025 and had all their signs updated in time for the start of the 2025-26 school year.
Vision Zero and Provincial Advocacy
Finally, Johnstone has been a steadfast supporter of Vision Zero principles. He worked to launch the city’s multi-agency Vision Zero Task Force, coordinating participation from multiple agencies and levels of government. Johnstone and his Community First colleagues have also supported several provincial advocacy items, including two resolutions at UBCM this year to restore provincial funding for active transportation infrastructure and expand provincial grants for road safety projects. Johnstone has also advocated for the expansion of life-saving automated enforcement cameras to improve road safety in the city and the region overall.
Still a Long Road Ahead
Patrick Johnstone is a real champion for road safety and the Vision Zero approach. New Westminster may well be the best positioned municipality in Metro Vancouver to eliminate fatalities on their roads.
There is still a long road ahead to tackle issues with the Major Road Network, areas of provincial control, and to continue to build public support for this work.
We believe that voting for Patrick Johnstone as Mayor of New Westminster will best position the city to continue to tackle these challenges and move ahead for road safety.
