Concerns farmland will be lost when Massey replaced
Posted October 11, 2013 7:28 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
DELTA (NEWS1130) – The province’s plan for a new bridge to replace the Massey Tunnel hasn’t been unveiled yet, but some people are already expressing concerns about whether the project will lead to a loss of farmland.
Construction on the new span is expected to begin in 2017. The province released an animated flyover of a 10-lane bridge with two dedicated HOV lanes, but it’s unclear if planners are flexible when it comes to making the bridge bigger or smaller.
Transportation economist and regional planner Stephen Rees fears developers will start eying property near the bridge, regardless of its size.
“What we will see is increasing pressure on the Agricultural Land Reserve, which is under review as part of this policy,” Rees tells News1130. “There will be a loss of the places we depend on for food. This is not a very sensible policy.”
A report that went to Metro Vancouver’s Transportation Committee earlier this week outlines several concerns with the Massey Tunnel replacement project. It questions whether it will lead to a drop in transit ridership and carpooling and if the new span will simply move the bottle neck a little further north to the Oak Street Bridge.
Proponents of the new structure say the tunnel is outdated, over capacity and in dire need of seismic upgrades. Delta Mayor Lois Jackson says the argument that fewer people will use transit after the bridge is built is “the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard.”
