Stop Gateway Rallies

Bill Rees speaks at afternoon rally
Originally uploaded by Rob__

Rally outside the Bayshore Hotel
Originally uploaded by Rob__

Hundreds attended two rallies this weekend to support the Livable Region strategy and oppose the gateway program. The first rally on Saturday was a standing room only event at a hall that seated 300 people.

The second event saw hundreds brave the cold and driving rain to rally outside an appearance of Al Gore and Gordon Campbell in Downtown Vancouver.

At both events experts from a wide background spoke on the negative consequences of the Gateway Program.

Buses on the Port Mann

Apologists for the Gateway Program appear to be re-writing history and claiming that Translink had no plans to run transit over the Port Mann bridge.

In actual fact a transit route with queue jumpers was originally planned to be implemented in 2004-2005 (see page 93 of Tanslink's South of Fraser - Area Transit Plan, Final Report - June 2000: http://www.translink.bc.ca/files/pdf/plan_proj/area_plans/south_fr_final.pdf)

Later it appears this was changed to 2007 (see page A8 of Three Year (2005 - 2007) Implementation & Financial Strategy - December 2004 :http://www.translink.bc.ca/files/pdf/plan_proj/ThreeYr05-07Strategic.pdf )

The two maps below produced by a third party illustrate the plans outlined in the documents referenced above.


The Port Mann bus route is shown in red. The 2000 Transit plan had the route stopping at central Surrey - this map extends that route.



The queue jumper lanes.

Update: This project is also mentioned in the "KEEPING GREATER VANCOUVER MOVING" Executive Summary - Translink 3-year Plan & 10-year Outlook p6 ( http://www.translink.bc.ca/files/pdf/plan_proj/executive_summary_June17.pdf
) :"Complete queue jumper lanes at the Port Mann and Second Narrows Bridges by 2007;"

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Punishing People in Cars

Mike Harcourt, speaking on Gateway asks, "Why punish people in cars?"

We might also ask, "Why punish transit users?" Right now transit users have to put up with over-crowded buses and sky trains, increased fares and a bus fleet that is smaller than plans called for. And they are only getting vague promises of improvements in the distant future sometime after the Gateway program.

So why are we rewarding people in cars with more lanes? These are the people that are contributing to climate change that will have severe consequences for the planet. These are the people that are contributing to pollution that kills 6,000 Canadians every year. And pollution that increases the frequency of asthma attacks among our children.


Why not reward those people who make choices that make our planet a better place to live? Why not reward those whose choices improve our health and well being? Perhaps not everyone can make that choice, but why not reward those that do?

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Emission Free Transporation Options

The anti-clean air gang continue their campaign of wishful thinking by proposing that somewhere in the hypothetical future technology (like hybrids) will allow us to expand our highways and still reduce harmful pollution and green house gas emissions.

The fact is only about 1% of cars sold in Canada are hybrids. And hybrids still pollute and release green house gases.

And we already have transportation solutions that are virtually emissions free (SkyTrain, LRT and electric trolley buses). Why don't we expand this infrastructure now and wait until the other technology is widely adopted before expanding highways?

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Seling Real Estate in a Hummer

With growing public consciousness around climate change and all things sustainable I find it strange that anyone would want to advertise their business on the side of a Hummer H2 (except maybe Hells Angels).
It certainly won't be helping the price of real estate in Richmond. Maybe there should be a boycott of Glen Warren Re/Max Real Estate Vancouver

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Commute Times: Perception vs. Reality

The asphalt lobby is making a big deal about an opinion survey that found that people in Metro Vancouver have a perception that congestion is getting worse and commute times are getting longer.

A more rigorous study that measured actual commute times found that although traffic has slowed, actual commute times have shortened in the last ten years.

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