November 21, 2005
Gateway transportation plan
Private Members' Statements

M. Polak: I rise today to speak about the gateway transportation plan, a plan that is eagerly awaited by residents of my riding and surrounding ridings. It's my hope that by the time my statement is complete, this House will all agree that gateway is essential not only for the benefit of my constituents but for the economic well-being of the province.

           Not that long ago TransLink commissioned an Ipsos-Reid survey to find out what the number-one issue seen by residents of the GVRD was. They came back with some surprising results. Rating even higher than health on that issue scale was the issue of transportation. This is something that, if you live in a place like Langley, as I do, becomes very close to home for you.

           It came home to me on a weekend when I was hoping to be into Vancouver for a dinner that began at six o'clock. I studiously left my house at 4 p.m., expecting that I would be there in ample time, perhaps even enough time to visit one of my friends in downtown Vancouver for a cup of coffee. But rather than be on time, it took me longer than two hours to drive to downtown Vancouver on a Sunday afternoon. That is just an unacceptable wait, and it causes all sorts of other problems.

           But this is only how it has happened in my life. There's a whole history to this. In the past 20 years the population of the lower mainland has increased by 750,000 people, an amount equal to the population of New Brunswick. Our best projections indicate that we will see another one million people added to the region over the next 25 years.

           Along with increased population, the lower mainland has experienced significant change related to how and where people move around the lower mainland. No longer do people only travel back and forth from their homes in the suburbs into Vancouver to work. In 2005 the number of Vancouver residents working in the suburbs has exceeded the number of suburban residents working in Vancouver by 9 to 1. Pitt River Bridge traffic volume has tripled since 1985. The Port Mann Bridge currently carries more traffic than the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. By 2031, truck traffic will increase by another 50 percent.

           There's no question that this region has experienced massive growth and change in the last two decades. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the region's road infrastructure. The last major road improvement project in the lower mainland was the Alex Fraser Bridge in 1986. The results of this neglect are experienced daily by frustrated commuters and truckers across the lower mainland.

           The B.C. Trucking Association estimates that trucks are stopped or slowed 75 percent of the time in the lower mainland. Congestion-related idling is having a negative effect on air quality. Heavy truck traffic on major routes and community streets is not only inefficient; it is a safety hazard. Transit is unable to operate on the Port Mann Bridge because there's too much congestion to keep to a reliable schedule. The estimated cost to the B.C. economy resulting from this gridlock is a shocking $1.5 billion annually.

           All of this evidence points inescapably to the need for a comprehensive, long-term solution, and yet despite the overwhelming need for action, there are those who continue to believe that the gateway project should not go ahead. They argue that the gateway project will worsen congestion, increase air pollution and reduce funds available for public transit. Nothing could be further from the truth. Gateway is not just a road-building exercise. Through the gateway project, the lower mainland will finally move forward through a comprehensive response to the needs of lower mainland residents and commuters. The Pitt River Bridge and Mary Hill interchange project will include a high-level bridge to replace two swing bridges and an interchange to replace the existing intersection at Lougheed Highway and Mary Hill bypass.

           The new bridge will allow for flexible lane allocation with potential for three general-purpose lanes going in either direction or a combination that includes HOV lanes. In the future two more lanes could be added, and the high-level clearance will let marine traffic pass unobstructed. This project will achieve improved travel time and safety while eliminating unexpected closures.

           The south Fraser perimeter road will be a four-lane, 80-kilometre-an-hour route on the south side of the Fraser River from Delta Port to 176th Street and the Golden Ears connector in Surrey-Langley. This will create an efficient trade route to serve industrial areas from Delta Port to Port Kells. It will relieve congestion by removing heavy truck traffic from major routes and community streets.

           The most well-known component of gateway is the Port Mann Bridge. The Port Mann Bridge right now is the worst choke point in B.C.'s most important trade corridor, Highway 1. Along with freeing commuters from unacceptable traffic delays, this project will provide for expanding HOV lanes to Langley as well as an expanded regional cycling network.

           It's time to build a lower mainland transportation network that will help us reach our true economic potential. It's time for a comprehensive infrastructure project that will serve this province for generations to come. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the residents of Langley city and township, I say it's time for gateway. We've waited long enough.