a second opinion em tennene ARE tolls inevitable on any new Burrard Inlet crossing? My training as a historian has taught me to resist any forecast of the firure that is presented with certainty, In this sense, nothing is inevitable, However, when it comes to the question of a new transportation link between the North Shore and _Nancouver, it's extremely unlikely that one will be built without some form ofa user fee. : Last week in this space | discussed architect Arthur Erickson’s vision of'a tunnel connecting North Vancouver near the foot of Lloyd Avenue to Vancouver along the Main Street corridor, Other variations on this theme have been proposed over the years by reputable engineering firms, including a plan to link Lonsdale Avenue _ to Clark Drive in Vancouver, Detailed traffic studies on both sides of Burrard Inlet would need to be completed before anyone could say which specific route has the most merit. But central to the kind of project now being advocated y Erickson is that the Lions Gate Bridge should be sestored and preserved -— but not expanded; and that a Soe | Lake Okanagan Needed new crossing must divert traflic away from downtown Vancouver, rather than pour more automobiles into the city’s central core, Of course, some detailed attention must also be paid to the North Shore side of this equation, for it would be fotly to simply transter the traffic snarls and pending gridlock from downtown, relocating them on our side of the water, Isa third crossing of Burrard Inlet necessary? There's a lot of healthy debate over this question, with some arguing that our traflic problems aren't going to be solved by encouraging more cars to travel through an already congested Lower Mainland, But the most com- pelling argument in favor of a Major new crossing is the staggering prospect of con- tinued massive population growth in the Greater Vancouver area, If we fail to plan for ic now, we may face a very frustrating and immobile future. When Arthur Erickson spoke recently to the Vancouver Board of Trade, he referred to a recent study done on behalf of the European Union predicting that by the year 2025 the world will consist of 30 large city-regions, According to this forecast, Vancouver will become one of the major city-states of the future and wil actually grow to incorpo- rate Seattle. I'm familiar with the study and, while [’m skeptical about crystal ball predictions, it can be fright- ening to contemplate growth on this scale. This is especially true if we fail to plan fora esort ma We pay now or later for bridge fiture that could see Vancouver as the dynamic centre ofan expanded urban region of 10 ta 20 mittion residents, f asked Erickson where the feadershijy was likely 10 come from in order to pro- ceed with what he describes as the crucial task of con- structing a third crossing of Burrard [nlet. He answered that the ini- tative would probably have to come front the private see- tor, or possibly a public-pri- vate partnership, Clearly, government alone can't solve this kind ofa problem. And there's 4 goud reason for this: in an age when tax- payers are demanding polit clans to be more frugal and spend less, the political con- straints holding our govern- ments back from asstining financial responsibility for Inajor infrastructure projects dre overwhelming. ‘That's ¢ “Margarela ¢ * Sandy Filioft \ ~ * Hilary Radler. 3 AYS , ha * Simon Chang % 0 ° lalre Xoin ; ’ Funsporl * Heidemann * fac Dale ; u Grace tb “9 (amo © Ora: EVERYTHING (including new arrivals) Starts Today pen Fri. night till 8 pm elaani oe hal Bellevue We West Vauncoine? , OTS, ebb a en ep de Ud fhvwe rn Friday, July 11, 1997 - North Shore News ~ 7 why we're now secing the private sector building roads and bridges and tunnels throughout North America, The projects are getting built faster and are allowing gov- ertunents to concentrate their limited resources on other pressing needs, There's a hitel to all this, of course. When the private sector becomes involved in building and operating such major public works, there are usual ¥ tolls involved, [taxpayers aren't subsidizing a project dircetly, asers will be paying for the service over a number af years until i's pald for in full, And this is the likely tradeoff we're now facing over the issue ofa new Bureard Inlet crossing, Hither we steel ourselves fur the prospeet of paying cach and every time we use the service, or we probably won't see a new crossing built for 20 years — by which time it will be too late, i. <> Complete rad flush plus oil & filter change, 04 a (is) . includes all materials 1362 Marine Drive 980-9115 Open 7 days a week Mon-Sat 8:000m-G:00pm, Sun, 9:00am-5:00pm All setvices fully warranty apptuved Not vulld with ather affers Eapttes August 097 The Report on 3 TO GIC ALTERNATIVES FREE INFORMATION KIT Ideal for conservative income investors * Today's top income opportunities ¢ Premium guaranteed rates * Safety of principal * Tax-saving ideas « RRSP eligible g% MIDLAND 925-5565 WALWYN CLUE CHP ERIN CIN Ge Call Chris Carter Chris Carter Financial Advisor '™ BLUE CHIP THINKING is a trademark of Midland Walwyn Capital Inc, Member-Canadian investor Protection Fund. 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