Langley (British Columbia)

The City of Langley is a municipality in the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It lies directly east of the City of Surrey, adjacent to the Cloverdale area, and surrounded on the north, east and south by the Township of Langley.HistoryEarly European settlement in the area was known as "Innes Corners" ; in 1911, the area became known as "Langley Prairie", part of the Township of Langley a.k.a. Langley Township since 1873. Owing to its more urban development and related needs, the City of Langley decided to separate and incorporate as a separate municipality on March 15, 1955.City PlanRoad NetworkLangley City follows the same block system as its neighbouring Township of Langley as well as other Districts in the Fraser Valley, where Streets run North-South, and Avenues run East-West.Development BarriersMany natural and artificial barriers prevent Langley City from following a complete tidy grid: The land governed by the City is not a rectangle but an uneven shape with "cut-out" corners. Fraser Highway intersects the City at an approximate 45 degree angle North West to South East, mirrored by Glover Road which enters the city North East to South West. The Nicomekl River flows through the middle of the city East to West. Railroad tracks run across the north of the City. This has affected development in a number of ways, for example the Langley Bypass turns 45 degrees in the North-West, tracing the boundary outline since it was constructed by the City and could not go over the boundary into the Langley Township. Many streets come to an abrupt halt when reaching the river and continue on the other side without a connecting bridge. Roads such as Douglas Crescent, Logan Avenue, and Eastleigh Crescent parallel the 45 degree angles of Fraser Highway and Glover Road, almost proposing an alternative grid at an angle which conflicts with the grid in place. Even Grade Crescent, which is much further south than these roads, follows this same angle, demonstrating the impact Fraser Highway had on the development of Langley.