HOV lane is going, while single-occupancy lanes jammed.
Pro public transport rally
Help Stop the "Gateway to Global Warming"!
The Gateway Project is Still Far From a Done Deal. Its a Dumb Deal.
Concerned British Columbian's are writing letters and emails to the Premier insisting that Gateway be canceled and genuine consultations take place to invision how to sustainably build uppon the livable region strategic plan. This is your chance to have your voice heard and tell Gordon Campbell to do the right thing.
Here are just a few key points to consider:
The various elements of the Gateway plan will drastically increase the lower mainlands contribution to green house emissions that cause global warming and pollution levels in the region. The tripling of shipping vessels and heavy truck traffic off delta port will feed into new induced traffic that will be find its way onto the SFPR, the Twinned Port Mann Bridge and then the widened highway 1 and then into the heart of the lower -mainland. To make things worse the Gateway Project will induce car dependent suburban sprawl that leads to further global warming emissions and less healthy community.
The South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR) will harm and maybe kill off Burns Bog, the lungs of the lower mainland our carbon sink!
The expansion of Delta port on Roberts Bank has serious impacts on migratory birds such as the Sandpiper that relies on the region to survive as they fly north. Also Port expansion at Delta Port may severally impact Orca Whales whose population in the area are already dwindling.
Salmon in the Fraser River that are already under threat would be heavily impacted by the gateway project and the massive increases in pollution that it would cause along the north and south banks of the fraser because of the perimeter roads as well the soon to be double-congested Port Mann Brides.
The Gateway Project as a whole would impact 1000 hectares of farmland, some of B.C.s most fertile.
The Gateway mega project contradicts the last democratic community planning process that was held around the region, the Livable Region Strategic Plan. Gateway induces car dependent sprawl and starves public transit by monopolizing billions of dollars in public transportation funding.
All of this while not examining the impact of rising fuel prices on the feasibility of the project compared to other options. In fact it has recently been un-covered through a freedom of information request that the project managers used the price of $0.80 a litre in their models for studying the project over the length of the contracts which is the next 25 - 40 years! No contracts can be signed until Barry Penner signs the environmental assessment.
No meaningful public consultations have yet to be held with the Premier, the Environment Minister or the Transportation Minister. The open houses and community meetings that have taken place have been well orchestrated Public Relation campaigns that were more like focus groups than a genuine attempt to decide the fate of this multi-billion dollar mega -project based on the public will. Make sure they hear your feedback. Send an email today!
Premier Campbell
3615 West 4th Avenue
Vancouver, BC
V6R 1P2
premier@gov.bc.ca
Please CC a copy of your letter to gateway@wildernesscommittee.org
If you would like to stay informed about the campaign to stop "the gateway to
global warming" and the campaign to get transit before freeways email
gateway@wildernesscommittee.org with the subject line ADD ME.
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