July 19, 2006 -
VANCOUVER – Today the Translink board voted to support the provincial government’s Highway1/ Port Mann Bridge expansion plans, despite its own study that found transit ridership would decrease if the roadway was twinned, said the Livable Region Coalition, a group of concerned citizens, city planners, environmental organizations and transportation experts.
“This is a huge U-turn for the GVRD,” said Ian Bruce, climate change campaigner with the David Suzuki Foundation. “We’re heading down the same congested road as cities like Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, and Toronto.”
If the highway1/Port Mann project goes ahead as planned, Translink staff stated, ridership on the SkyTrain Expo line would decline by as much as 500 trips during the morning rush hour, while the proposed Evergreen Line would lose as much as 5% of its potential commuters. Construction of the Evergreen Line is already in jeopardy due to a lack of funding commitments from the B.C. government. A forecast of lower ridership numbers as a result of Hwy1/Port Mann expansion means operating costs for this line would be more expensive than budgeted for.
“Widening highways and bridges simply puts more cars on the road, which increases time wasted in traffic.” said Deming Smith, Policy and Communications Manager, Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST).
According to figures released by Statistics Canada earlier this month, commuting times in all of Canada’s major cities increased, except in Vancouver, as measures such as improving transit have taken effect.
“Putting a priority on more roads makes future rapid transit projects like the Evergreen Line less feasible, if not impossible,” said David Fields, Transportation Campaigner with Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC).
No jurisdiction in North America has managed to solve its traffic problems by building larger roads, which lead to more urban sprawl and more traffic. However, investments in public transit and better urban planning will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve regional and local air quality, ease road congestion, and reduce both unproductive commuting time and municipal infrastructure costs.
The project has yet to go through an environmental assessment and will go before the GVRD board this fall.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Ian Bruce - Climate Change Specialist
Tel: 604.732.4228 ext. 275
Cell: 604-306-5095
E-mail:
ibruce@davidsuzuki.org
David Fields, SPEC Transportation Campaigner, 604-722-4775
Deming Smith, Policy and Communications Manager, BEST, 604-669-2860