Gateway Program (Vancouver)

The Gateway Program is a $3.0 billion regional transportation project for Greater Vancouver that is being run by the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation. On January 31, 2005 the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation introduced the Gateway Program as a means to address growing congestion and reduce travel times.

Proposed scope

Port Mann Bridge/Highway 1 (PMH1)

The PMH1 Project includes widening Highway 1, a new Port Mann Bridge and upgrading interchanges on British Columbia Highway 1.

The new Port Mann Bridge will be increased from the existing 5 lanes to 8 lanes. The provincial government states the Port Mann Bridge is frequently congested between the hours of 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. although the definition of "congested" has not been specified. Since 1985, traffic on the bridge has increased 65% from 77,000 vehicles per day to 127,000.

High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes (HOV) will be expanded from one to two on the bridge and will expand this section of Greater Vancouver's HOV network from the McGill Street to 216th street in Langley, a distance of 37 kilometres. The Gateway Program is partnering with TransLink on a $180 million rapid bus route for the Highway 1 corridor. This will include transit priority access to Highway 1, park-and-ride facilities, new transit loops in Surrey and Langley as well as 20 new buses. The provincial government claims that travel time from Langley to Burnaby is expected to be less than 25 minutes.

The Gateway Program also includes a $50 million investment in cycling infrastructure, the largest investment in B.C. history. This includes separated cycling lanes across the Port Mann Bridge. The bridge is also being designed to accommodate the eventual addition of Light Rail Transit.

In addition to the new Port Mann Bridge, Highway 1 is being widened between McGill Street in Vancouver to 216th street in Langley. The pre-design concept proposes one additional lane in each direction between the Port Mann Bridge and McGill Street. On the Surrey side, two additional lanes are proposed from the bridge to 200th street allowing for one HOV lane in each direction. Finally, there will be one additional lane in each direction on the section from 200th street to 216th.

Interchanges from Vancouver to Langley will also be upgraded to increase interchange capacity. This will include priority access lanes as well as new cycling facilities.

The majority of these improvements will occur within the existing right of way. The PMH1 project is scheduled to be finished in 2013.

South Fraser perimeter road (SFPR)

A new four lane, 80 km/h (50 mph) highway along the south side of the Fraser River extends from Highway 17 in southwest Delta to 176th street in Surrey, with connections to Highway 1, 91, 99 and to TransLink's new Golden Ears Bridge connector.

The South Fraser Perimeter Road will provide a new east-west transportation corridor that will provide new connections to key trade gateways. The stated goal is to reduce the volume of regional truck traffic on local roads.

Opponents argue that this route will increase pollution near residential neighbourhoods and schools; harm the hydrology of Burns Bog, a threatened and sensitve ecosystem; and pave over valuable farmland. The South Fraser Perimeter Road project has undergone a thorough review as part of the Environmental Assessment process in which many of these issues were identified.

Due to its ecological value, the Gateway Program is committed to protecting and supporting the restoration of Burns Bog. The SFPR Project will be working with the Burns Bog Scientific Advisory Panel to develop systems that will improve the existing drainage / hydrology of the bog. However, the SFPR alignment does not impact the Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area.

One of the main objectives of the Gateway Program is to reduce congestion-related idling. By freeing up the traffic movement south of the Fraser River, the SFPR will reduce congestion related pollution. The SFPR will also be removing trucks from local roads where they contribute to noise, accidents and pollution. Expanded transit services, HOV lanes and cycling improvements will largely offset emissions. Vehicle pollution will be reduced further as result of improved efficiency and higher emissions standards. An overall improvement in regional air quality is predicted in 2021 due to a reduction in traffic-related emissions compared to today.

The SFPR is expected to be completed by 2012.

North Fraser Perimeter Road (NFPR)

The Gateway Program is partnering with TransLink and the Border Infrastructure Program on improvements to existing roads that will provide a continuous route on the north side of the Fraser River from New Westminster to Maple Ridge.

The Gateway portion of this route originates within the City of Coquitlam on United Boulevard, immediately west of King Edward Street and continues eastward through the municipalities of Port Coquitlam and Pitt Meadows, along the Mary Hill Bypass and Lougheed Highway (17 km) and ties into TransLink's future Golden Ears Bridge.

Pitt River Bridge and Mary Hill Interchange

The new Pitt River Bridge, currently under construction, will replace the two existing swing bridges that cross the Pitt River. A new interchange is also being built to replace the at grade intersection at (Lougheed Highway and the Mary Hill Bypass). These improvements are a stand alone component of the NFPR Project.

The new structure will be 7-lane cable-stayed bridge and will be located between the two swing bridges, which accommodate 4 lanes of traffic including a counter flow system for peak hours. The new bridge will include three lanes of general purpose traffic in each direction as well as one eastbound lane for slower moving trucks accessing the Canadian Pacific intermodal yard at Kennedy Road. The new bridge will provide 16 metres of vertical marine clearance and will reduce the number of piers in the Pitt River.

The new bridge also includes pedestrian and cycling facilities that will benefit both recreational and commuter cyclists. The design for the bridge and interchange includes $8.5 million worth of cycling features. This includes a new cycling on ramp as well as connections to local trails on both sides of the bridge as well as a separated pathway on the bridge deck. The new bridge will also be designed to accommodate the addition of Light Rail Transit.

The existing intersection at Lougheed Highway and Mary Hill Bypass will be replaced with a grade-separated interchange with on and off ramps that would allow for free-flow of traffic, while also providing for future connection to the Fremont Extension, to support development in Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam. The new interchange and bridge will replace the current counter flow system

The project is being funded by the federal and provincial governments. As part of its recent Asia Pacific Gateway & Corridor Initiative, the Government of Canada has committed $90 million in funding for costs associated with the construction of the bridge and a new grade-separated interchange at Lougheed Highway and Mary Hill Bypass. The Province is providing $108 million.

The new bridge and interchange are expected to be complete by the end of 2009 to coincide with the opening of the Golden Ears Bridge.

Predicted impact on traffic

A main goal of the program is to reduce traffic congestion and to improve the movement of people, goods and transit throughout the region. Gateway road and bridge improvements compliment other road and transit improvements planned or underway. These improvements contribute to providing an efficient transportation network. Vehicles idling in traffic cause a significant amount of pollution and have a negative impact on overall quality of life.

However, opponents dispute whether the project would actually alleviate congestion in the long term. They argue that additional road capacity attracts drivers who previously used other routes, chose to avoid peak travel times, avoided the trip altogether, or used different modes of transport. The Alex Fraser Bridge was opened in 1986 with four traffic lanes. After it was repainted to support six traffic lanes in 1989, it became congested again within months. However, the Alex Fraser Bridge was a new span, and not an existing crossing like the Port Mann Bridge.

Currently, there are approximately 127,000 trips that cross the existing 5-lane Port Mann Bridge, which is the highest volume per lane of any Lower Mainland bridge. This is a 65% increase since 1985. Population and employment growth are leading to an increase demand for travel on this increasingly congested crossing. Dispersed population and employment growth has caused commuting patterns to change away from the suburb to downtown pattern seen in many cities. People now need to travel from everywhere to everywhere.

Tolling

Traffic growth on the new Port Mann Bridge will be reduced further by the collection of a toll expected to be in the range of $3 each way. The toll will be combined with other congestion reduction measures such as HOV lanes, transit and commercial priority access to highway on-ramps, and dedicated commercial vehicle ramps to limit traffic growth and assure effective operations for the longer term.

In addition to managing traffic demand, tolls will finance the improvements to the PMH1 corridor. The project will be a public-private partnership. The government will oversee the project and the contractor will be responsible for meeting performance objectives in designing, building, financing and operating the project under the 35-year agreement.

The tolls will be collected electronically at the Port Mann Bridge, ensuring traffic will not need to slow down or stop. In addition, the Province is asking proponents to suggest options for discounts and other incentives for different types of users, including regular users, HOV discounts and commercial overnight discounts. During public consultation, the vast majority of participants supported the toll.

Support for the program

The Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority has endorsed the plan contingent of the following conditions: the bridge be financed by tolls, the bridge includes priority access/HOV lanes, and the government does not encourage motorists to use the Pattullo Bridge as a free alternative. In addition to ongoing dialogue with local municipalities, as well as Metro Vancouver and the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink), the Gateway Program has undergone one of most extensive public consultation processes in the history of the province, including more than 10,000 participants.

Opposition to the program

Opponents to the expansion include the Livable Region Coalition, an east Vancouver-based group called Citizens Concerned with Highway Expansion, a group based south of the Fraser called The Gateway 40 network, some members of Burnaby city council,, some members of Vancouver city council, and several urban planners. The main opposing argument is that increasing the highway capacity will only increase the traffic over the span and encourage suburban sprawl. The Livable Region Coalition has urged the Minister of Transportation, Kevin Falcon, to consider more sustainable solutions to reducing congestion, including rapid transit lines, and improved bus routes. However, the Ministry of Transportation claims that population and employment growth will make any transit-only solution ineffective over the long term, and propose a balanced solution that includes new capacity as well as bus rapid transit, an expanded HOV network, and cycling improvements.

The David Suzuki Foundation claims the plan violates the goals of the Livable Region Strategic Plan and has failed to consider alternative forms of transportation. However, the reintroduction of transit service over the bridge and the new toll are consistent with the LRSP. The South Fraser Perimeter Road was specifically included in the Livable Region Strategic Plan.

Opponents estimate that the Gateway Program will substantially increase on-road greenhouse gas emissions. The provincial government claims studies conducted as part of the Environmental Assessment Process show only a negligible increase in greenhouse gas emissions. An analysis by SPEC found that for these studies they included Whatcom County emissions when calculating the baseline and left them out when calculating the impact of Gateway. When this is factored in the studies predict a 31% increase in on road emissions .

Opponents also say the South Fraser Perimeter Road will alter and perhaps destroy Burns Bog, a sensitive and endangered ecosystem . It is also expected that 150 acres (0.6 km²) of farmland will be lost to the project. Attempts to mitigate these impacts have been made through refinements that occurred as a result of public consultation and the Environmental Assessment process.

Environmentalists have said that the twinning of the Port Mann is motivated by a governmental goal to increase Vancouver's port share by twofold over the next decade. More lanes on the bridge means easier access for trucks between the Port and Canadian routes inland, as well as the I-5 corridor south. Opponents point out that only 8 - 10% of the traffic on the Port Mann bridge is truck traffic and say that if alternatives were found for commuters, the current highway system could easily handle truck traffic.

Alternatives to the program

In their position paper the Livable Region coalition suggests a combination of: 1. Improved transit options, 2. HOV lanes and High Priority Vehicle lanes to give priority to commercial trucks, buses, and high-occupancy vehicles 3. New rail options, 4. Congestion pricing and 5. Transportation Demand Management.

Vancouver city councillor Peter Ladner has urged better land use, High Priority Vehicle infrastructure, tolls on all bridges, and offering credits to employees who opt out of free workplace parking. Regarding land use, he has criticized the region's trend towards scattered industrial and commercial office parks, and points to the Livable Region Strategic Plan's goal of designated town centres linked by rapid transit.

The Society Promoting Environmental Conservation and the Livable Region Coalition have produced a plan that they claim can be implemented in as little as 2 years at 1/3 the cost of freeway expansion.

Members of the Simon Fraser University Urban Studies program have produced a study that examines light rail expansion into the Fraser Valley as an alternative to the highway expansion.

Jordan Bateman, a Langley City councilor has proposed a light rail line on 200th street in Langley .

VALTAC (Valley Transportation Advisory Committee) is advocating for a revival of the British Columbia Electric Railway Interurban Line .

External links

• Official Gateway Program website Ministry of Transportation
• Livable Region Coalition