Media Advisory

New NRG Research Poll
Strong Majority of Burnaby Residents Support
Widening of Highway 1 and Twinning of Port Mann Bridge

 Burnaby, B.C. – Get Moving BC will be releasing a new poll tomorrow morning (Thursday September 20th) at 11:00 a.m. showing that a strong majority of Burnaby’s residents support the expansion of Highway 1 from Vancouver to Langley, improving the highway on and off ramps, and twinning the Port Mann Bridge.

The poll, commissioned by Get Moving BC, was conducted by the NRG Research Group during the week of September 10th to 14th 2007. Three hundred randomly selected Burnaby residents were interviewed.

Get Moving BC believes that a balanced transportation system is essential to solving the Lower Mainland’s traffic gridlock problems, one that places equal emphasis on new and expanded transit options while also improving and adding to the Lower Mainland’s network of major roads, bridges and highways.

The group was formed to provide a voice for the silent majority of Lower Mainland residents who support improving the region’s transportation infrastructure in a balanced way. Get Moving BC feels the voice of this silent majority is not being heard.

The Port Mann / Highway 1 (PMH1) Project includes widening of the highway, construction of a new Port Mann Bridge, upgrading interchanges and improving access and safety on Highway 1 from the McGill Interchange in Vancouver to 216th Street in Langley.

The design concept for the project proposes a new parallel bridge on the west side of the existing Port Mann Bridge, which would also provide cycling access and be designed to accommodate future light rail transit.

One lane in each direction will also be designated as an HOV lane, significantly expanding the existing HOV network and making it possible to provide reliably scheduled bus service connections between communities north and south of the Fraser River.

When the Port Mann Bridge was opened in 1964 there were only 200,000 people living south of the Fraser River. Today, there are more than 1 million people living south of the Fraser.
 

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Get Moving BC is dedicated to holding governments accountable for a balanced transportation system and was formed to provide a voice for the majority of Greater Vancouver residents who support improving our roads, bridges and transit systems.   

For more information please contact Get Moving BC’s media desk at 604-678-5567 or by email at info@getmovingbc.com

Online References and Attachments:

• NRG Research Group – “Survey of Burnaby Residents Regarding Attitudes Toward Development of the Port Mann Bridge and Highway 1,” September 2007

• www.GetMovingBC.com

• www.nrgresearchgroup.com