Dear Editor,
Re: “Steves unmoved, Stone ‘busts’ Massey Bridge myths,” News, April 1.
The Massey Tunnel Replacement Project is illogical for too many reasons. It is time for the province to take the advice of Metro Vancouver and use the $3.5 billion to actually help develop a transit plan that will reduce congestion.
The mega bridge is higher and longer than it needs to be because the purpose is to industrialize the Fraser River with jet fuel, coal and LNG.
The Fraser River has hosted environmentally sound industries for 100 years like fishing and lumber, so let’s make smart decisions that support our economy, move our traffic and, most of all, protect the most important salmon run in the world.
The Fraser River is too important to marginalize and there is an army of people willing to do the work to protect her. The premier needs to work with the mayor and council and not continue this illusion of public consultation with ridiculous publicity stunts like the “Debunking the Myths” presentation that Transportation Minister Todd Stone tried to sell last week.
The people are smarter than the province realizes and will not be fooled.
It is time to revisit the previous transit plan that Minister Kevin Falcon had developed. An upgraded tunnel is more cost effective and less disruptive to the Fraser. A twinned tunnel would allow for better traffic movement and the creation of a rapid transit corridor.
The reason a tunnel was built in the first place is because the land on the Richmond side is at extreme risk of liquefaction in the event of an earthquake or dredging. A bridge is a very unwise alternative because it would be built on the only unstable area north of the Fraser. The silt deposited in Richmond and Delta is suitable for a tunnel that can flex as needed, not suitable for a huge bridge.
The province needs to learn from the local governments who know best how to create a transit corridor that will move us forward in a modern and effective way.
Councillor Carol Day
City of Richmond
