Rob's Ramblings

Morning commuters were greeted with new messages along Gateway Program construction routes this morning.  The construction announcement signs had been modified to read "Farms not Freeway", "Peatland not Pavement", "Homes not Highways" and "Transit not Truck Routes." The action occurred on the last scheduled day of climate talks in Copenhagen.  Government reports estimate the Gateway program will increase greenhouse gas emissions by over 160,000 tonnes per year.  Independent modelling puts the figure at over 300,000 tonnes. The signs modified included promises that transportation experts have consistently questioned. Some sign promise that the project will be " Reducing Congestion." Yet, Gordon Campbell said in 2003 “You cannot build your way out of congestion”. The signs also promise that the government is "Strengthening the Economy ."  The Provincial and Federal governments have provided massive investments to the Port in...

UBC Professor Patrick Condon speaks at Construction Blockade Originally uploaded by Rob__ Gateway Work Shut Down for Four Hours On Monday December 7th UBC Professor Patrick Condon joined a group of climate activists who occupied a freeway construction site in Vancouver.  Work was stopped at the site for four hours. The protest coincided with the first day of climate change talks in Copenhagen, where Canada received yet another Fossil of the Day Award. The notorious award goes to the country doing the most to obstruct progress at UN climate negotiations. This action was directed at the controversial Gateway Program, a massive freeway-expansion project that would increase greenhouse gases (GHGs) in a sector that is already the largest source of emissions in our region. The province's own assessment estimates the increase at over 160,000 tonnes per year. If the billions being spent on Gateway were re-directed to an emissions reduction program including cost-effective pu...

During the current BC election campaign there has been much discussion about the carbon tax. Some environmentalists have even endorsed the Liberal party based on the tax. But how does it stack up to other climate-related policies? Based on numbers in the modeling done by the Carbon Tax Center, I estimated that the BC Carbon Tax would reduce greenhouse gas (ghg) emissions by 570,000 tonnes annually at the current rate and by 901,000 tonnes by  2012 when the rate is raised to $30/tonne. I used a model developed by the Sightline Institute to estimate emissions from the Gateway Program. I calculated annual increases of 388,000 - 621,000 tonnes.  The Gateway program alone would wipe out one to two thirds of the gains made by the Carbon Tax. During 2001 - 2006 the emissions from Oil and Gas production increased by 1,040,000 per year.  The Liberals have committed to supporting this industry so it can be expected that these increases will continue.  These two policies (Gateway and Petroleu...

With the recent announcement of a 10 lane monster bridge here in Vancouver it might be timely to examine the idea of the efficient car.  Some supporters of the highway expansion project claim that we don't need to worry about greenhouse gas emissions or local pollution because the increased traffic will sometime in an unspecified future be replaced by magical super efficient cars. A recent article in The Progressive, The Myth of the Efficient Car , examines this issue. The article points out that, "...the looming catastrophe of global pollution, including climate change, will never be solved by building more cars – efficient or otherwise." Meanwhile the private partner involved in building the bridge, Macquaire Group, is having problems .

Public barred from Gateway Announcement Originally uploaded by Robs__ Residents of Surrey and Vancouver were blocked from entering the site of an announcement regarding the controversial Gateway Program on Monday. The announcement was held on private property behind barbed wire fences. Some in attendance speculated this was a deliberate attempt to keep the public from attending an event about the project which is becoming increasingly unpopular. The announcement was billed as the official launch of construction on the South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR) portion of the program. But it contained little new information. The Federal government promised support but did not offer any specifics in terms of funding. The Prime Minister painted the project as part of his government's economic stimulus package. But opponents pointed out that transit projects create seven times as many jobs as highway building. Dozens of protesters turned out to meet the federal and provincial government of...

Surrey Residents "Cancel" Gateway Originally uploaded by Rob__ As part of the International Day of Action on the Climate Crisas, residents of Surrey, BC modified a sign advertising the Gateway program . Light duty vehicles are already the largest source of ghg emissions in the lower mainland and the the Gateway program is projected to increase those emissions. Two signs on either side of the Pattullo Bridge were modified.  The banner added to the signs reads, "CANCELLED, Funding Diverted to Transit Improvements by LiverSmater BC, www.livesmarter.bc 'helping the Province go green'" The group also created a new website, www.livesmarter.bc , which parodies an official government program designed to help citizens reduce their ecological footprint.

There will be a rally for sustainable transportation in Surrey on Saturday, Sept. 24th. In our region transportation is the largest contribution to green house gas emissions and this is an event that directly deals with that issue. Some of us will be cycling to the event. View the proposed route here or below: <br><small><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=104443166972154694208.0004579717a05eb4331a7&ll=49.224173,-122.930973&spn=0.052352,0.26039&source=embed">View Larger Map</a></small>

Some interesting quotes from this morning's Metro Vancouver Sustainability Breakfast : “We have today the most road and parking capacity that we will ever need” - Bryn Davidson, Executive Director, Dynamic Cities Project "We need to redesign Gateway...[if we continue with the current design]...we will have wasted that money...we will have sunk it into a design that was inappropriate." - Anthony Perl, Professor and SFU Director, Urban Studies Program

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.

The recent Vancouver Sun editorial ( “Gateway is important for our future economic well-being” March 22 nd ) repeated the big lie that Highway One expansion is necessary to accommodate truck traffic volumes. In actual fact only 10% of the traffic on the Port Mann bridge is truck traffic. If the other 90% of drivers were given viable public transit options there would be more than enough room for truck traffic on the existing bridge.

I recently had a conversation with a friend ( Nancy Callan , author and environmental food activist ) about the expansion of highway one . I mentioned that freeway expansion rarely solves the congestion and often during peak hours congestion returns to previous levels in a matter of months. This occurs because of triple convergence (also here ). At the time I had forgotten what the three convergences were but after a little research here they are: many drivers who formerly used alternative routes during peak hours switch to the improved expressway (spatial convergence); many drivers who formerly traveled just before or after the peak hours start traveling during those hours (time convergence); some commuters who used to take public transportation during peak hours now switch to driving, since it has become faster (modal convergence)