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Citizens and Chamber of Commerce sound off over bridge project

Richmond Chamber of Commerce and new grassroots activist group Fraser Voices go toe-to-toe over George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project bridge proposal

Only a federal review will quieten Fraser Voices - By De Whalen

Fraser Voices stands united against building a massive bridge and removing the Massey Tunnel. Here are our reasons why: 

- A 10-lane bridge would flood Richmond with traffic — A massive bridge will create new congestion problems and increased pollution on Richmond streets, and on the Oak Street Bridge. The cliché “You can’t build your way out of congestion” has been proven over and over again. Wider bridges just create wider traffic jams.

- Climate change — Adding one mile of new highway lanes increases carbon pollution by 100,000 tonnes over 50 years. The bridge proposal is in violation of Canada’s international commitment to limit global warming to 1.5 °C.

- There are better ways — In 2008, the provincial government promised a “RapidBus BC” service through the tunnel and even built new bus lanes on Highway 99 for them. Since then, transit has actually been cut. A two-lane rapid transit tunnel could be added for a much lower cost than a 10-lane bridge, but this is not on the table.

- Waste of public funds — The bridge is estimated to cost $3.5 billion and has every possibility of high cost over-runs like the Port Mann P3 (public-private-partnership) project. There are far better uses of our precious public money, including improving transit service in Richmond.

- Threat to farmland and food security — Richmond and Delta have some of the richest farmland in Canada and food prices are soaring. The bridge would increase the pressure to pave over Delta farmland, and threaten access to affordable local produce. 

- Threat to the Fraser River — Removing the tunnel and building a high bridge would open the river to dredging for large fully-loaded ships carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), coal and tar sands bitumen. The cumulative impacts will damage fish habitat and natural systems. A designated “Canadian Heritage River,” the Fraser is the most productive salmon river in the world. The delta is an international “RAMSAR” wetlands site and is the most used stop for wintering waterfowl and birds of prey on the Pacific Flyway. The focus of shipping should remain in Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet.

- No business case — The government has not produced a clear business case for spending $3.5 billion dollars or more on this 10-lane bridge and much of their public information is misleading to say the least. Even the City of Richmond has made a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to get documents that should be public. 

- Traffic volumes — Volumes through the Massey Tunnel have not increased over the last decade and could be pushed even lower with improved bus service. A Federal Review Panel — the highest level of Environmental Assessment — would consider all the impact of the proposal concerns expressed by the public. We can do this right.

 De Whalen is a member of the newly formed group Fraser Voices and a former columnist for the Richmond News.

Rob Akimow
Richmond Chamber of Commerce chair, Rob Akimow

Bridge makes sense for trade and transit - By Rob Akimow

The Richmond Chamber of Commerce (RCC) has reviewed the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project (GMTRP) and supports the concept of a replacement bridge for the following reasons:

- Expanded capacity —The George Massey Tunnel is at capacity during rush hour and has been for many years. With projected population increases, an additional 100,000 vehicles per day are expected to use this corridor over the next 25 years. The GMTRP will create much needed expanded capacity, alleviating traffic congestion, making it easier and safer for customers, employees and goods/services to move in and out of Richmond.

- Support local workforce — In addition to the 9,000 construction jobs that will be created by this project, the long-term economic and social advantages of the GMTRP are vital to the future sustainability of the Richmond economy. We estimate that approx. 10-20 per cent of the current Richmond workforce commutes daily via the tunnel. Based on increasing housing affordability challenges and population growth trends, this percentage can be expected to rise.

- Enhanced safety —The tunnel was built in the 1950s and does not meet modern highway and seismic standards. For this reason, twinning the existing tunnel is not a practical option. The proposed bridge will meet modern earthquake standards and will result in an expected 35 per cent decrease in the frequency of collisions.

- Farmland — Farming is vital to Richmond. We recognize the GMTRP will impact some agriculture lands and commend the government’s commitment to no net loss of agriculture land. It’s anticipated the project could potentially result in a net gain of farmland.

- New transit options — The GMTRP will be built with the capacity for the addition of Light Rail Transit over the river and will also, for the first time, provide direct access for cycling and walking between Richmond and Ladner. This project will also include 50 lane kilometres of dedicated transit and provide direct access to the Bridgeport Canada Line station.

- International trade — The George Massey corridor links Richmond and YVR directly to the South Fraser Perimeter Road and U.S. border. Additionally, this corridor helps facilitate nearly half a billion dollars in goods which move in/out of Port Metro Vancouver daily. The enhanced movement of people and goods is a significant economic generator.

  While the Richmond Chamber supports the GMTRP, we are mindful of the concerns expressed by our members:

- Oak and 70th Avenue — This intersection is a known bottleneck. Two recent traffic analyses confirmed that approximately 62 per cent of north/south-bound commuters through the George Massey Corridor (during peak hours) are commuting to/from Richmond. Nevertheless, we strongly encourage the province to work with the City of Vancouver on this issue.

- Tolling — We encourage the province to work with Metro Vancouver, local municipalities, as well as the federal government to develop an integrated transportation management strategy, including infrastructure funding mechanisms, which address long term transportation and related land-use planning needs for the entire region. 

Rob Akimow is the chair of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce; he’s also director of advertising for the Richmond News.