To the editor,
Re: “Chamber pushes for more lanes in tunnel,” News, Oct. 24
Kudos to Matt Pitcairn of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce and also to Coun. Alexa Loo for speaking out about the absurdity of building an eight-lane tunnel when the traffic volumes clearly indicate that at least a 10-lane tunnel or bridge would be required to meet demand to replace the George Massey Tunnel.
No one I have talked to since the Metro Vancouver mayors’ task force released their recommendation for an eight-lane tunnel can understand what the logic is in their recommendation. In the eight-lane proposal, with one lane each way being taken up by transit (which we all agree is a good thing), only leaves three lanes each way for vehicles. Three lanes each way is what we have now at rush hour (at least six hours a day) with the resulting congestion and air pollution. Construction of a bridge is faster, cheaper and has less environmental impact than a tunnel.
I can only think of one reason for the task force recommendation. The 10-lane bridge proposal was put forward by the provincial Liberals and the terms of reference as provided by the NDP government to the mayors’ task force did not allow the mayors’ task force to even consider it.
Part of the difficulty faced by Richmond and the tunnel replacement project is that billions of dollars are slated for the extension of the SkyTrain from Commercial Drive to Arbutus and then on to UBC as Phase 2.
The cost of the extension is huge and will drain federal and provincial infrastructure money allocated to this region for years to come.
TransLink is also considering replacing the proposed light rail extension from Whalley to Langley with a SkyTrain line and they have also approved replacing the Pattullo Bridge. Both of these projects will remove even more capital away from the George Massey Tunnel project.
Now that priority is given to these other projects, it means little money will be available to replace the George Massey Tunnel and construction of either a tunnel or bridge will be shuffled to some distant future date.
The task force members have their regional priorities, the provincial government has theirs. Other parts of the Metro Vancouver region have their competing capital priorities for hospitals, schools and transit and shelving the George Massey replacement project for years suits them just fine.
Greg Halsey-Brandt
RICHMOND
