Better Transit, Not Freeways
The Province of British Columbia has announced plans for a major highway expansion project in BC's Lower Mainland, called the Gateway Programme. Part of that programme involves expanding Highway 1 from Langley right through Vancouver, and twinning the Port Mann Bridge.
This programme is completely contrary to the Vancouver region's strategic plan for managing growth. The success of the Livable Region Strategic Plan has earned Vancouver an international reputation for livability--even while the region has grown dramatically!
The highway expansion will mean urban sprawl, more congestion and more pollution. Those are all indicators for rising human health care costs and a degraded environment. In addition, sprawling new subdivisions eat up valuable Fraser Valley farmland, reducing our long term food security.
Vancouver is the only city in Canada that has actually proven that commute times can be reduced by building better transit. Now, we need to turn our attention to the regions south of the Fraser River that desperately need viable transit solutions for commuters, and give them transportation choice.
The Provincial government is pushing ahead with its programme despite strong opposition from municipal governments, SPEC (www.spec.bc.ca) and its partners in the Livable Region Coalition (www.livableregion.ca). The Premier knows that this programme is no solution; when he was mayor of Vancouver, he himself fought freeway expansion and declared "You can't build your way out of congestion."
The Premier and his government need to hear from you, to know that you stand for "Better Transit, Not Freeways".
To the Hon. Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia:
I believe that you can%u2019t build your way out of congestion, too, Premier Campbell.
I believe that your government%u2019s plan to twin the Port Mann Bridge and widen Highway 1 is trying to do just that, and that it will fail.
Your plan will increase traffic congestion, and pollute the air that I breathe. It will mean more children with asthma, more elderly falling ill. It will cause urban sprawl to eat up the farmland that provides my food. It will turn the Livable Region that I chose for my home into one, great traffic jam connecting endless expensive suburbs.
I don%u2019t want to leave that legacy for my children. I want faster, safer and cheaper solutions for our traffic problems. I want transportation choice. Stop Highway 1 Expansion!
