A Highway Runs Through It
BY Ron Nurwisah
Illustration by Evan Munday
A British Columbia government plan to radically expand highways around the Lower Mainland has angered community groups, environmentalists and even municipal politicians.
The Vancouver area has seen population growth and an economic boom brought on by the 2010 Olympics. The BC government’s Gateway Program calls for construction of highways north and south of the Fraser, but it’s the planned expansion of Highway 1 and the Port Mann Bridge that has many concerned.
Local activists cite the impact the highway would have on neighbourhoods along the route, particularly those in East Vancouver like Commercial Drive. “In parts of East Van you pretty much can’t live farther away than 300 metres from a major highway,” says Paige Dampier, one of the organizers of Citizens Concerned About Highway Expansion, a community group that’s trying to raise awareness of the construction.
“There are health issues from increased particulate matter and smog, but also neighbourhood issues like not being able to cross the street to get to the store you want,” she adds.
The BC government and proponents of the project have cited congestion and economic concerns as the reasons why this project is necessary. They argue that the region loses $1.5 billion a year from congestion.
Trucks going to and from the Port of Vancouver and the US border use the route, making it one of the region’s busiest. “Our current infrastructure is inadequate for current and future needs. The economy of the province and the country is being affected by our inability to move goods,” explains Mike Proudfoot, executive director of the Gateway Program.
Still, many feel that expensive highway construction isn’t the answer. “They haven’t really investigated clearing up that highway. Getting rid of single occupancy vehicles or putting buses on that bridge,” says Deming Smith, policy and communications manager at local transportation think tank Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST).
Municipal politicians around the Lower Mainland also aren’t convinced. Vancouver’s former mayor, Larry Campbell, and Burnaby mayor, Derek Corrigan, criticized the plan when Kevin Falcon, BC’s Minister of Transportation, announced it back in 2004. The Highway 1 expansion also lost one of its local supporters when Surrey mayor Doug McCallum lost his bid for re-election in November’s municipal election.
