SPEC or Span.
The anti Gateway gang continue their campaign against the expansion of Highway 1 and the twinning of the Port Mann Bridge. The myopic view of their campaign is that Gateway will result in more air pollution, including more climate changing emissions, and more danger from increased traffic in neighbourhoods.
First off, on increased traffic; you can't stop the increase in our population growth. The Port Mann was built when our population was only 800,000 - today we have a population of 2.3 million and growing. Our population will continue to grow and we will need alternatives to move people around the region. Expanding the Port Mann and expanding Highway 1 is just one of the options we will need to move people around the region.
Secondly on the issue of pollution and climate changing emissions; we aren't living in a static world. Has no one thought about a future with more efficient vehicles? The future of vehicle emissions could look dramatically different in a few more years.
Take a look at Toyota:
"Ten years after introducing the world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, Toyota Motor Corp. announced yesterday it has sold more than one million of its hybrid vehicles worldwide, with Canadians snapping up 16,000 of the environmentally conscious cars."
I am convinced that Canadians will make fundamental changes in the way they deal with their personal transportation once convenient, reasonably priced alternatives exist.
One example is the increased sales of fuel-efficient, low-emissions hybrid vehicles. Additionally, future advances in science and technology will do more for improving our air pollution and climate changing emissions levels than trying to force people out of the convenience of driving their cars. We could soon be living in a world where near zero emission vehicles are driving around our region.
I see a bright future for our region - a region with more Span and less SPEC!
posted by Walter Schultz @ 9:00 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
"I am convinced that Canadians will make fundamental changes in the way they deal with their personal transportation once convenient, reasonably priced alternatives exist."
Which side are you arguing for Walter? This is the argument that SPEC puts forward. Today, people living south of the Fraser have one choice: personal automobiles. Public transit is virtually non-existent. It's time to give people choice and build public transit capacity so that people can make environmentally friendly choices.
Population growth doesn't have to mean increases in traffic - not if public transit is in place and we have land planning that encourages density. More people are coming and we can't expect them all to drive - it will be chaos if they do. Imagine what traffic would be like in New York, London, or even the City of Vancouver if everyone drove. You can create all the 8 lane highways you want, there will still be unbelievable congestion.
Mr. Schultz, do you currently drive a hybrid? If not, when are you planning to get one?
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Is it wishful thinking that somewhere in the hypothetical future technology 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?
It isn't just pollution you have to consider. The fact that we are at peak oil is as much a consideration as all these other factors.
I love this. Most of the posters likely do not use the Port Mann frequently. I left the region for principally that reason: Port Mann. My commute took me from New West to Langley, and nearly drove me crazy.
1) Surrey, Langley and Abbotsford have been built, people. No more "density" planning to do.
2) The main issue with $$$$ and transportation in the GVRD has to do with heavy vehicles. We need expanded capacity for TRUCKS and GOODS, not complaining people.
3) The complainers can move, the trucks can't.
4) SPEC does have a point about the whole rapid bus issue, no doubt there.
5) Port Mann still needs to be twinned. To think otherwise means you don't have to, and never do actually cross it!! Believe me, waiting in the line-ups gives you lots of time to actually think about the issue!
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