Dear Editor:
RE: Letter: Building a double-decker highway will fix North Shore traffic
The idea to build an upper deck onto the Upper Levels Highway to solve traffic congestion is rather naive. It is as unrealistic as Premier Doug Ford’s plans to build a tunnel under the giant clogged freeway in Toronto. An elevated highway would be the most expensive in B.C., and the environmental costs of all the steel and concrete would be huge.
If built, it would be very intrusive with its exits, on ramps and noise. It also just moves the traffic bottlenecks to other sites such as Horseshoe Bay and other bridges.
The real problem is our belief that unlimited population growth is good and more cars are an essential part of that growth. That is the problem that society refuses to address. It is totally non-sustainable to keep growing our cities in such a cramped environment without causing immeasurable environmental impacts. The North Shore and our regional government cannot even plan and build a simple sewage treatment plant on time and prevent it from going fives times over budget. This would be an even greater boondoggle.
However, Mr. Smith does offer a better option – a mass transit system that includes a circle route around the North Shore and into Vancouver. Tunnels for that system would have to be built. Then, the only solution is to slow down growth and simply get out of your car.
Otto Langer
Richmond
