Greg Carr
2006-07-17 00:40:32 UTC
No thumbs-up for Gateway project
By Dan Ferguson
Staff Reporter
Jul 14 2006
Delta residents will just have to live with a less than ideal version
of the South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR) proposed by the provincial
government's Gateway program, Mayor Lois Jackson predicted Monday.
"Despite the fact it isn't the route we've chosen, it is a
necessary route," Jackson told council.
She said the provincial government is unlikely to make any substantial
changes in response to Delta complaints.
"I'm not terrifically happy about the Gateway program, but neither
is any other mayor in the Lower Mainland," Jackson added.
Her comments came after other members of council said they could not
give their unqualified support to Gateway because of concerns about the
impact of the SFPR.
At issue was a request by the Greater Vancouver Regional District and
TransLink for comments from affected municipalities.
A city engineering department report suggested council should say it
"generally" supports Gateway, wording that drew objections from
several members of council, who ordered a rewrite that will include
specific concerns about the expected loss of housing in North Delta and
farmland in South Delta.
Coun. Robert Campbell said Delta interests are being trampled by
Gateway planners who are determined to eliminate bottlenecks in freight
shipments through Delta's deep-water container port to the rest of
the country.
"We're not the gateway for our country, we're a doormat,"
Campbell said.
Coun. Vicki Huntington called the design of the North Delta section of
the road "a blight and an eyesore" that will mean the "severing
of the community from the water" because it will run along the Fraser
River.
Coun. Krista Engelland said because of the loss of agricultural land
and homes to SFPR, she "can't support the Gateway program at
all."
The planned $800-million truck route would run along the south bank of
the Fraser River from Deltaport to 176 Street and the future Golden
Ears Bridge.
The four-lane heavy truck road is designed to connect port terminals
and industrial sites along the river with Highway 1, providing a new
goods movement corridor.
It's a major part of the $3-billion Gateway program, which also
includes $1.5 billion to twin the Port Mann bridge and widen Highway 1,
and $400 million to build the North Fraser Perimeter Road through
Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows and New Westminster including a new Mary Hill
interchange and a new six-lane Pitt River bridge.
Surrey city council recently gave Gateway its qualified support,
expressing concern about the possible impact on traffic if the planned
new Port Mann carries tolls for motorists and the Pattullo doesn't.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More than 200 homes will fall for Perimeter Road
By Jeff Nagel
Black Press
Jun 30 2006
Surrey will take the brunt of an estimated 215 home demolitions that
will be required to make way for the planned South Fraser Perimeter
Road.
Although about 65 homes are expected to be flattened in North Delta,
the current estimate for Surrey is 150, according to transportation
ministry spokesman Mike Lovecchio.
"A small number of properties have already been purchased," he said.
"There is money there for people who don't want to wait."
The planned $800-million truck route would run along the south bank of
the Fraser River from Deltaport to 176 Street and the future Golden
Ears Bridge.
The estimates have been released as part of the pre-design
consultations for the truck route. Exact properties that must be
acquired won't be known until after the next phase -environmental
assessment.
The planned demolitions have angered residents of Surrey's Royal
Heights neighbourhood in west Whalley who say they're completely
opposed to the planned perimeter road.
"There are going to be 250 to 300 people that are going to be forcibly
expelled from their homes," said Peter Chittim, president of the Royal
Heights Neighbourhood Association. "We're saying absolutely no way."
It's just the latest segment of the route where major local opposition
is brewing. Project leaders already face an uphill battle convincing
residents of North Delta's Annieville and Sunbury neighbourhoods, where
locals have been demanding a tunnel rather than an overland route.
Gateway officials have rejected tunnel calls, but say they are
adjusting the route where possible. They also say they have reduced the
number of access ramps in response to residents' calls.
Chittim said the Royal Heights residents are joining forces with other
neighbourhood associations to present a united front to Gateway.
"They've been working on us all individually," he said.
The four-lane heavy truck road is designed to connect port terminals
and heavy industrial sites along the river with Highway 1, providing a
new goods movement corridor.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The only way the opponents are going to stop this thing is by
protesting it. I work in the transportation/warehousing industry so I
can see the need for the project but I don't see industry doing
anything to pay for it. I also remember when blocks of homes were
demolished on Sea Island in Richmond for an expansion of the airport
that never happened. This despite adamant objections from the Sea
Island residents at the time.
Container traffic at Delta Port has actually dropped this year, since
their major customer Hapag-Lloyd left, and many of the modern container
ships can't fit in the Fraser river channel. But the port authorities
like the YVR mngmt before them say it is inevitable that the growth
will happen.
The residents of Annieville and Sunbury in Delta and Royal Heights in
Surrey will be most affected by this project. If they shut down the
HUDD Distribution facilities and the other lesser foreign owned
terminals the project will not be necessary. These companies do nothing
for the community, cause accidents on River Rd and congestion and are
now using their political might to push the project through with the
govt.
Complaining to the media and MPs and MLAs as well as municipal
authorities is one course of action. Demonstrations and picketing of
the access points to the terminals is another. These companies are
powerful enough that the local newspaper media never report their names
when they are involved in news items. Instead only the unit block is
given.
By Dan Ferguson
Staff Reporter
Jul 14 2006
Delta residents will just have to live with a less than ideal version
of the South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR) proposed by the provincial
government's Gateway program, Mayor Lois Jackson predicted Monday.
"Despite the fact it isn't the route we've chosen, it is a
necessary route," Jackson told council.
She said the provincial government is unlikely to make any substantial
changes in response to Delta complaints.
"I'm not terrifically happy about the Gateway program, but neither
is any other mayor in the Lower Mainland," Jackson added.
Her comments came after other members of council said they could not
give their unqualified support to Gateway because of concerns about the
impact of the SFPR.
At issue was a request by the Greater Vancouver Regional District and
TransLink for comments from affected municipalities.
A city engineering department report suggested council should say it
"generally" supports Gateway, wording that drew objections from
several members of council, who ordered a rewrite that will include
specific concerns about the expected loss of housing in North Delta and
farmland in South Delta.
Coun. Robert Campbell said Delta interests are being trampled by
Gateway planners who are determined to eliminate bottlenecks in freight
shipments through Delta's deep-water container port to the rest of
the country.
"We're not the gateway for our country, we're a doormat,"
Campbell said.
Coun. Vicki Huntington called the design of the North Delta section of
the road "a blight and an eyesore" that will mean the "severing
of the community from the water" because it will run along the Fraser
River.
Coun. Krista Engelland said because of the loss of agricultural land
and homes to SFPR, she "can't support the Gateway program at
all."
The planned $800-million truck route would run along the south bank of
the Fraser River from Deltaport to 176 Street and the future Golden
Ears Bridge.
The four-lane heavy truck road is designed to connect port terminals
and industrial sites along the river with Highway 1, providing a new
goods movement corridor.
It's a major part of the $3-billion Gateway program, which also
includes $1.5 billion to twin the Port Mann bridge and widen Highway 1,
and $400 million to build the North Fraser Perimeter Road through
Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows and New Westminster including a new Mary Hill
interchange and a new six-lane Pitt River bridge.
Surrey city council recently gave Gateway its qualified support,
expressing concern about the possible impact on traffic if the planned
new Port Mann carries tolls for motorists and the Pattullo doesn't.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More than 200 homes will fall for Perimeter Road
By Jeff Nagel
Black Press
Jun 30 2006
Surrey will take the brunt of an estimated 215 home demolitions that
will be required to make way for the planned South Fraser Perimeter
Road.
Although about 65 homes are expected to be flattened in North Delta,
the current estimate for Surrey is 150, according to transportation
ministry spokesman Mike Lovecchio.
"A small number of properties have already been purchased," he said.
"There is money there for people who don't want to wait."
The planned $800-million truck route would run along the south bank of
the Fraser River from Deltaport to 176 Street and the future Golden
Ears Bridge.
The estimates have been released as part of the pre-design
consultations for the truck route. Exact properties that must be
acquired won't be known until after the next phase -environmental
assessment.
The planned demolitions have angered residents of Surrey's Royal
Heights neighbourhood in west Whalley who say they're completely
opposed to the planned perimeter road.
"There are going to be 250 to 300 people that are going to be forcibly
expelled from their homes," said Peter Chittim, president of the Royal
Heights Neighbourhood Association. "We're saying absolutely no way."
It's just the latest segment of the route where major local opposition
is brewing. Project leaders already face an uphill battle convincing
residents of North Delta's Annieville and Sunbury neighbourhoods, where
locals have been demanding a tunnel rather than an overland route.
Gateway officials have rejected tunnel calls, but say they are
adjusting the route where possible. They also say they have reduced the
number of access ramps in response to residents' calls.
Chittim said the Royal Heights residents are joining forces with other
neighbourhood associations to present a united front to Gateway.
"They've been working on us all individually," he said.
The four-lane heavy truck road is designed to connect port terminals
and heavy industrial sites along the river with Highway 1, providing a
new goods movement corridor.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The only way the opponents are going to stop this thing is by
protesting it. I work in the transportation/warehousing industry so I
can see the need for the project but I don't see industry doing
anything to pay for it. I also remember when blocks of homes were
demolished on Sea Island in Richmond for an expansion of the airport
that never happened. This despite adamant objections from the Sea
Island residents at the time.
Container traffic at Delta Port has actually dropped this year, since
their major customer Hapag-Lloyd left, and many of the modern container
ships can't fit in the Fraser river channel. But the port authorities
like the YVR mngmt before them say it is inevitable that the growth
will happen.
The residents of Annieville and Sunbury in Delta and Royal Heights in
Surrey will be most affected by this project. If they shut down the
HUDD Distribution facilities and the other lesser foreign owned
terminals the project will not be necessary. These companies do nothing
for the community, cause accidents on River Rd and congestion and are
now using their political might to push the project through with the
govt.
Complaining to the media and MPs and MLAs as well as municipal
authorities is one course of action. Demonstrations and picketing of
the access points to the terminals is another. These companies are
powerful enough that the local newspaper media never report their names
when they are involved in news items. Instead only the unit block is
given.