Prior Street residents are planning to protest Friday morning against what they believe will be an increase in traffic along their street should the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts be removed.

“Getting more traffic on Prior isn’t a great idea,” said resident John Atkin. “It’s already one solid wall of trucks and cars during rush hour.”

He said residents had been hoping that once the viaducts come down traffic would be routed out of their area.

But after viewing plans by the city to use Prior and Pacific Boulevard to handle this diverted traffic, residents believe they will see even more vehicles.

“Right now the traffic cuts the community in two. It separates one side of Prior from the other,” he said.

Atkin said the protest Friday would be peaceful, but Vision Vancouver Coun. Geoff Meggs said he’s heard that some residents might interfere with morning rush-hour traffic.

“I hope that doesn’t happen,” he said.

Meggs said the residents’ fears were based on a misunderstanding about the amount of traffic expected to use Prior once the viaducts were removed.

A city report issued June 19 sought to clarify the numbers of vehicles that would likely use the proposed Prior-Pacific route.

This report predicted that while 2,135 vehicles per hour would use Pacific, “a significant proportion will continue to turn at Quebec and Main destined for the south and southeast part of the city” resulting in no increase along Prior, which today sees 1,500 vehicles an hour at peak periods.

“The city would not support an option that increased traffic on Prior/Venables,” said the report.

“There’s been a misunderstanding about numbers. Traffic won’t increase, it will likely decline,” Meggs insisted.

He is planning to meet with area residents Saturday in the Strathcona Community Centre to discuss their concerns.

Council is expected to deal with the issue of demolishing the viaducts on July 24 when the engineering department is expected to bring in its latest recommendations.

The viaducts were originally built to be part of a freeway system through Chinatown and Strathcona into downtown Vancouver, which was abandoned after community opposition.

gbellett@vancouversun.com