48 — Friday, December 20, 1996 — North Shore News

tosh Ye
‘AY

PeARRT See

aX ES

|

“AHHH Christmas. A

time of wishing and
hoping, giving and per-
haps getting what we
think we deserve,

For years many North
Shorians have been longing
for a third crossing over the
Burrard inlet. It has become
quite apparent that our(?)
Provincial government is not
as benevolent as oi” Saint
Nick, in fact, quite the oppo-
site is true. Ironically, this
may be fortuitous, for as the
old saying goes, “be careful
what you wish for, for you
just might get it.”

While a third crossing
would certainly benefit com-
muters and ease the exasper-
ating pickle of rush hour traf-
’ fic around the beloved Lions
~~Gate Bridge and its sister, the

reliable Second Narrows, no
one ever seems to take into
account the whys and where-
fores of this daily drudgery.
When the Lions Gate
Bridge was first being built it
was considered a fool's
errand that would never pay
for itself, As time tells it, the
stressed structure is over-
worked, under-repaired and
quite literally on its last leg.
Why? There are too many
people living on the North
Shore. This “bedroom com-
munity” of ours is harboring
clandestine Vancouverites
who escape to the north
when the day’s work is done.
Fine, I don’t blame them.
This is a great place to live.
But isn’t it obvious that a
othird crossing will only make
it easier for the masses to
infiltrate our quaint, quiet
community to the point that
it is no longer quaint and
quiet? Doesn’t anyone won-
ler why monster homes are
sprouting out of every vacant
piece of North Shore earth?

Doesn't anyone understand
why HOV lanes have become
a necessity?

Without going on about
our perverse infatuation with
the automobile and our lack
of interest in reworking our
inefficiently sinder-utihzed
transit syster) — these are
“givens” — jet’s take a laok
at what will happen should
the NDP have a sudden
atrack of Santa Clausitis.

North Van Traffic
Technologist Len Mericux
recently ran a transportation
computer model for the
Greater Vancouver Regional
District which focused on the
North Shore traffic problem
and introduced a variety of
possible solutions. The
results of this computer sim-
ulation on EMME/2 (pro-
nounced “emmtoo”) are fas-
cinating:

Emmtoo shows that if'a
third crossing connecting the
North Shore to Vancouver
—~ at any location — is built,
traffic volume would be dra-
matically reduced on the hwo
existing bridges. Duh.

However, within 10 to 20
years the volume on both the
Lions Gate and the Second
Narrows will be exactly the
same as it is today! Further,
traffic volume on this hypo-
thetical third crossing will
reach maximum capacity and
there will be an undeniable
demand for a fourth cross-
ing.

This means, of course,
that the North Shore’s popu-
lation will have swelled to
the point that our beautiful
green mountains will be
bespeckled with monsters
and the term “scenic drive”
will be an oxymoron.

Emmton also took a peck
at a future which only
involved our two bridges
plus a rapid transit link. Same

spurt nee mei

jon’t unwrap third crossing

deal. Population explosion.

“If vou build it, they will
come,” says the voice in the
movie Field of Dreams.

“Bridges control popula-
tion growth,” states Len
Mericux.

Then Len and Emmtoo
took a look at the North
Shore in a future where no
additional inlet-crossings are
built. The results shows the
same North Shore we live on
today — same traffic prob-
lems, but not greater ones.

4% This ‘bedroom
community’ of
ours is narboring
clandestine
Vancouverites who
escape to the
north when the
day’s work is
done. 99

No population explosion
either,

It seems that the North
Shore has pretty much
“maxed-out.” Of course, PH
avoid mentioning what hap-
pens to Lions Bay, Squamish
and the Sunshine Coast.

The most curios simula-
tion Len ran on Emmrco
involved removing the exist-
ing crossings and replacing
them with ... absolutely
nothing! Result? No traffic
problems and a smaller popu-
lation. Duh, again.

However, the remaining
people would live and work

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munity, calmly and produc-
tively and be the envy of the
world (Seabuses would over-
load, mind you). Cool!

As everybody knows,
progress is a doubled-edged
sword, Just think before you
wish.

But what do I know. If I
had my wish we'd sill being
buying produce up at
Stoker’s Farm (now a condo
at 29th ard Lonsdale) and
singing Christmas carols
around a big tree in the rown
square, if we had a town
square.

Heck, Pd be out hunting
mammoth with Ug the
Caveman while my woman
sat near our hut at the foot
of Mosquito Creek rubbing
sticks together to keep the
home fire burning — bur
that’s just me, I guess
(Actention letter writers, Pm
kidding).

Have a merry and safe
holiday season.

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