Burnaby Resident Support Twinning
The Port Mann should be twinned, writes Burnaby resident Gary Bizzo in this letter to the Langley Times:Editor: Regarding the misguided opposition to twinning the Port Mann Bridge and improving Highway 1, the Port Mann Bridge was built more than 40 years ago when there were less than a million people living in the Lower Mainland. Most of those people were living on the north side of the Fraser River.
Today, there are more than 2.3 million people living in the Lower Mainland and almost a million them are living south of the Fraser River.
Before too long, there will probably be more people living south of the Fraser than there are people living north of it.
Yet according to some misguided individuals, we don’t need any more roads or bridges to serve the Lower Mainland’s growing population beyond the four-lane Port Mann Bridge that was built more than 40 years ago.
Correction: five lane bridge — the NDP repainted the lines on the Port Mann Bridge back in the 1990s, turning four lanes into five.
Fortunately, those opposed to improving the Lower Mainland’s transportation systems are in the minority. The majority of people in the Lower Mainland fully support the investments being made to twin the Port Mann Bridge and widen Highway 1.
Just look at the angry public pasting Carole James took when she decided to announce she was opposed to twinning the Port Mann Bridge.
The Port Mann Bridge is going to be twinned and Highway 1 is going to be improved, and most of us can’t wait to see that happen (along with improvements to the transit system) because it’s going to improve life for a lot of people in the Lower Mainland.
Gary Bizzo,
Burnaby
posted by Jordan Bateman @ 8:29 AM
1 Comments:
I think our government has not invested properly over the years in light rail and complete roads. We now have a traffic crisis on our hands and people see the only solution as building more roads.
I personally believe that building more roads will not solve the problem and that more roads will just make it worse. History repeats itself in this respect and there are no working examples of where more lanes and roads have worked. They just get more congested. I do believe we should upgrade or replace aging infrastructure.
It saddens me to realize that the proponents for more roads have resorted to name-calling and labellings of those looking for smarter, long-term solutions as being "misguided". I also resent being put in the same basket as the NDP, which I am not. I actually support the BC Liberals.
I am happy to concede and give people the roads and eventual congestion that they seem to love so dearly. BUT, please give us light rail solutions NOW and please connect our local communities and the cities around us in a logical manner and please don't give us an outdated and expensive SkyTrain technology.
The light rail will allow me and our hardworking senior retires to move about without stress and anxiety so that we can greet you with a smile when you complete your road battle each day. You are happy to spend billions of dollars on roads that won't ever pay for themselves. So, please don't hold up our light rail with the old arguments about ridership and related foolishness. Your cars are mostly single-occupancy as witnessed each day by the open HOV lanes. So please don't call me names for rallying for the health and well-being of my neighbours.
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