Dear Editor,
It appears that Mayor Malcolm Brodie is ill-informed about traffic exiting the George Massey Tunnel on the north side.
According to a provincial government comment about a year ago, the majority of the traffic exiting the Tunnel is headed to Richmond and much of that which is not, exits Highway 99 and travels eastward to the Knight Street Bridge and into Vancouver.
Brodie’s idea that a bridge will move the current tunnel congestion north to the Oak Street Bridge is more fiction than fact.
It is unclear from Brodie’s rantings why a bridge would suddenly cause congestion that already exists with the George Massey Tunnel. Moreover, what has the height of a proposed, BC Hydro line crossing have to do with vehicle traffic?
Additionally, Brodie’s comment about the bedrock being deep seems to be a red herring if the problem is, as he insists it is, the vehicle traffic.
As for twinning the existing tunnel, why, when more than one government report suggests that its life is limited. The comments from some that the George Massey Tunnel has upwards of 40 years of life remaining might well be true, but there have been comments from others who state that the tunnel is on its last legs and needs replacing.
The “selfie” that Brodie spouts is more about himself than seeing the big picture that is the flow of much-needed vehicular traffic into and out of the Lower Mainland and not only those who reside south of the Fraser River — a rather lot of traffic enters Canada at the USA/Canada border as do thousands of American tourists.
Those dollars that they provide generate employment for many, including Richmondites.
Bob Orrick
Delta
