The Premier has finally made public the long anticipated plan to twin the Port Mann bridge as part of the overall "Gateway Plan".

Key elements of the Gateway Program include:

1. The North Fraser Perimeter Road, including the new six-lane Pitt River Bridge connecting Maple Ridge and New Westminster;
2. The South Fraser Perimeter Road connecting Delta Port with the Golden Ears Bridge and Highway 1 in Surrey;
3. Twinning the Port Mann Bridge, allowing for the re-introduction of transit service and including the potential for future light rail transit;
4. Widening Highway 1 from Vancouver to Langley, including extension of HOV lanes into the Fraser Valley; and,
5. A $50-million investment in cycling infrastructure - the largest history of the province.

A public forum in Vancouver is being organized for Saturday, November 5th. LibbyDavies (Federal MP for Vancouver East) is hosting the event. Speakers include Citizens Concerned with Highway Expansion, David Chudnovski (Provincial MLA for Vancouver-Kensington) and Shane Simpson (Provincial MLA for Vancouver-Hastings).

Although this sounds like an East Van NDP "love-in" I would ideally like to see some pro-freeway MLA's present at this event, Bruce Ralston and Jagrup Brahr particulary, who are on record as supporting the expansion.

The NDP are already back to sitting on the fence on this issue.

There is a few threads on rabble.ca/babble in regard to this

A recent G and M article named Vancouver #1 in livability according at
researchers at the Economist in London, even with the freeways as they are.

Ian Gregson

In the May 2005 Provincial election campaign, the number one issue in East Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster and Surrey was the Freeway expansion.

In January 2005, Minister Kevin Falcon announced that the No 1 Trans Canada Highway would be expanded between first avenue in East Vancouver and 200th street in Langley. He also announced the Port Mann bridge would be twinned with another bridge of the same size and structure.

This announcement came without much of a prior warning and no public consultation. Activists along the route went in to high gear, an organisation called Citizens Concerned with Highway Expansion stepped up to the plate to gather community support.

The freeway expansion issue clearly became the foremost issue with the residents of East Vancouver. Regardless of political support no one wanted to see an increased number of cars on roads already clogged with too many single occupancy rush hour vehicles.

Personal safety, air quality and noise pollution were all at risk of being negatively effected in light of a freeway expansion.

As the election drew close, even the Liberal candidate in Vancouver Hastings Laura McDiarmid gave opposition to the expansion, NDP candidate Shane Simpson also gave strong opposition. Other East Vancouver candidates such as David Chudnovsky and Gregor Robertson also voiced concerns. The Liberal support has never been in question.

However, on the night of the leaders televised debate each leader was asked a question directly related to the expansion of the Trans Canada freeway; only the Green Party and Adriane Carr came out directly against the freeway expansion and twinning of the Port Mann. NDP leader Carole James danced around the issue stating that public consultation was needed.

After the tv debate the quotes from the Surrey NDP candidates began to pop up. Jagrup Brar and Carole James were quoted in the Surrey Now newspaper:

Q. [To Brar] Where do you stand on twinning the Port Mann Bridge?

A. I support the idea of twinning the Port Mann, but there are things I want to know from the Liberals. Do you have a full-blown business plan? If so, I would like to have a copy of it. What are the timelines. When will it start and when will it end? Do you have the money and where is the money? How is twinning going to fit in the bigger picture of traffic in the Lower Mainland? 18/10/04

Full quote HERE

Carole James stated, “ an NDP government would build a new overpass on Highway 1 and accelerate construction of the South Fraser Perimeter Road while developing a business plan for twinning the Port Mann”. 18/4/2005

Full quote HERE

In a televised candidates debate on May 11^th, 2005, Surrey North NDP candidate Bruce Ralston stated “I support the twinning of the Port Mann bridge”.

It became apparent to even the most casual viewer that the Surrey NDP candidates were directly contradicting the East Vancouver NDP candidates and that contradiction continues today after the election.

If the NDP claim they are truly reformed from their defeat of 2001, the litmus test of this change will be their stand and ultimate outcome on the freeway expansion. The NDP lost the 2001 election because they became detached from their core supporters. Already, core supporters are doubting their recent voting support as the NDP stand on the freeway expansion remains unclear.

Many of the NDP candidates in East Vancouver received considerable support due to their opposition of the freeway expansion. Many NDP candidates in Surrey received considerable support due to their support of the freeway expansion. How the NDP deal with this schism will be indicative of their ability to retain support or lose it over such a divisive issue.

The main issue here is the lack of cohesive opposition from the NDP will shorten the legislative opposition debate on this issue. If the NDP come out in complete opposition to the project, combined with the work of local activists and neighbourhoods, the project could be defeated and funds reallocated to public transportation infrastructure. If the NDP simply disagree with the business plan, but agree with the end result then all debate will be focused on how rather than why ?