Planners seek
to reduce SOV
commuters

AIR POLLUTION and traffic
Congestion are the two main
reasons municipal, regional
and provincial governments
want to reduce the number of
single - occupant vehicles
(SOV) on the road today.

By Kevin Gillies
Contributing Writer

Sitting in bumper-to-bumper

’ traffic on a hazy spring afternoon is

nothing foreign to the North Shore
commuter.

In the ongoing debate on how to
deal with the Lions Gate Bridge,
many “experts” have gone far out of

‘their way to suggest the real issue is
the transportation system and vol-
“5 -ume 'versus.the need for a new
~ bridge...
The Greater Vancouver Regional
. District (GVRD) and the provincial
government Ministry: °. of
» Transportation ‘and. Highways
(MoTH) and B.C. Transit published
Transport 202i in 1993..

‘It. is a report examining long-
‘range transportation options and
plans for the Lower Mainland.

By 2021, the report predicts, the
number of commuters travelling (by

all '‘modes of transportation) during .

» Tush-hour will be 80% higher than
; in 1991.

The number of transit users will
be 160% higher over the same peri-
od.

The report also shows results
from a survey of 1,600 GVRD .-si-
dents,

The report revealed that 35% of
respondents felt the Lower
Mainland’s biggest problem was
congestion, while 16% felt not
enough (or poor) roads was the
problem.

A further [29% felt there were not
enough buses and 11% felt there
wasn't enough rapid transit. .

Most of the survey's respondents
(88%) believe there are too many
SOVs on the road, yet 73% drove a
car or motorcycle to work each day.
Only 16% took public transit and
11% walked, car pooled, bicycled or
used other forms of transportation.

“Respondents overwhelmingly
agree that public transit and car
pooling should be made more con-
venient and attractive rather than
upgrading the roads,” the report stat-
ed.

dents agree, with four out of 10
(41%) agreeing strongly.”

According to the report, the best
way to relieve North Shore traffic
congestion is to improve the transit

“system by adding more bus routes

(especially over the two bridges),
building queue jumping lanes (at
bridge heads) for buses and adding
High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV)
lanes.

It also lists adding more SeaBus
terminals along Burrard Inlet as a
possibility.

The report also reveals that part

Read Home @ Garden and you
could have no mow problems!

2 Tennis J shoes sho should be judg edd
by what’s in them. Not who.

al our emphasis on Research and Development rather

than celebrity endorsements make our brand a little less

“glamorous? Maybe. But when was the last time glamour
helped you get to a cross-court backhand?

Amore intelligent approach to building shoes.

MODELY WIDTHS > aay B.

M998 RUNNING

ne

M580 RUNNING” f

GXT775/605 COURT
: MK530 CASUAL WALKING -
W998 RUNNING
W680 RUNNING
WK740 WALKING

LSTAR SPORTS

“Park Royal North

922-2115

“Eight out of 10 (79%) respon-

of the plan is to place tolls on both
Burrard Inlet bridges.

The belief is that making private
vehicle use expensive and inconve-
nient, and making public transit
more attractive will persuade SOV
drivers to switch to car pooling or
transit. Because rail travel is not
directly governed by either govern-
ment, commuter rail was not consid-
ered as a strong possibility to reduce
vehicle traffic.

North Vancouver City’s

Community Plan of 1992 addresses
the transit issue this way:

“In support of the complemen-
tary concepts of a livable city and
sustainable development the city
will reduce the primacy of the pri-
vate car.

“The transportation requirements
of citizens and tourists will be
addressed by the creative use of a
mix of pedestrian and transit corri-
dors, park and ride facilities, bicycle
paths, covered walkways and, where

YASMIN & KING

Have moved to

Dina’s

Hair Vogue

They look forward to seeing all their clients
Please call for an appointment

1351 Marine Drive
West Vancouver

ALL CUSTOM

FRAMES
Wood & Metal

922-5385

ALL ART
Framed &
Unframed

dvertorial
Ted White, M. P.:
#302 1200 Lynn Valley Rd.
North Vancouver
V7I 2A2
Telephone: 666-0885
Fax: 666- £509

STUDENT SUMMER JOBS

Last year! arranged for a ran-

f domly selected group of Norih =

Vancouver voters to assess appli-

‘| cations for wage subsidies under

) the Challenge (SEED) program of
4 summer jobs for students. it is my
| intention to repeat the process this
| year, So we will soon be mailing out
“Join The Committee" invitations to
| a group of people randomly select-
ed from the voters' list. Once all the
employer applications are in, the
non-partisan committee will meet

§ to decide which ones should be .

f approved.
WHO GETS FUNDED?

Under this year's plan, $59.5

j_ million is allocated to 30,700 jobs in

f a mix of non-profit ard for-profit

) organizations, $15 milion to 10,000

jobs in community development

| projects (whatever that means} and

$2.6 million to hire aboriginal stu-

§ dents for 486 jobs in the Human
f Resources Development Ministry.

The Government ciaims that the

| program is structured to give young
people an opportunity to find jobs
that lead

[: However, most of the mone
appears to be targeted to non-prof-

it groups and government agen-
a cies. ‘In light of the budget
announcement of reductions in
some special interest group grants
and downsizing of the civil service,

| seriously doubt that these “jobs”
are likely to lead to a future career.
Most disappointing for me, if we

f MUST spend this money-on job
f creation, is that only $1.7 million
will be used to fund toans tor stu-
dents to start their own businesses.
Small businesses are the .main

1 providers of new jobs in Canada so
| would have liked to have seen a
much greater emphasis placed on
fostering individual student initia~

to future. careers.

- tive. Also, this part of the ‘program

offers LOANS while other parts of
the program offer GRANTS. If the
Government is going to give. our
money away, it should be applying
the same funding rules to-every-

one, whether or not the job is “cre-
ated" through a student business
venture.

HOW TO APPLY

Employers must have applica-
tions in by April 21st and must
derionstrate that.the jobs would
not be available without the. sub-:
sidy. The criteria for. assessing
applications include the ability of
the job to provide a career-related
experience, the potential to prepare
students for future labour’ market
participation, and the benefits to. |
students who take the jobs.

The Government has decided
that social engineering is important
so it.will give preference to jobs
which address poverty and_ its
effect on children and youth, sup-
port crime prevention, and employ
students who are female, members
of visible minorities, disabled, - or
aboriginal. Contrary to the wishes |
of the Government, | have already
advised the Program Officer that |
will-not approve applications that
propose employment of studenis
based on their gender or ethnic ori-
gin because such an approach will
foster. racism and. resentment
among job applicants.

Approvals will be completed by
May 26th and the earliest start date
for students will Ge May 29th. Cail :

. 656-6888 if you would like an appli-

cation form or information about the [
amount of the wage subsidy for
specific employer types. q

appropriate, vchicle routes.

“The development and improve-
ment of transit will be encouraged
and supported.”

We make you look good.

Since ! 928
67TH ANNIVERSARY

No fine print and no gimmicks!
1/3 OFF ALL SUNGLASSES

Not all madels may be ine all stores at all
times, however we'll special order any
model of these brads at these savin!

_Feuturing...

[SERENGETI

Starting at $99

Not available at
Warehouse & Drug Stores!

Horizon
Model # DR S156

*
NOW ONLY

$109.34

Half Moon
Model # OR 5639

Reg.$ 189, 00

Model # DE 6302”,
Reg. $2 1 4 00

All Sunglussex are covered by our ‘NO
MATT BR WHAT Guarantee an

Get ready for sunimer with a
Birthday special of
3 OFF Prescription
Sunglass Lenses:
when purchased with «:
- frame. Remember, there's 's:
no GST or PST. on '
prescription sunglasses!

Daily Wear "Daily Wear
~ Clear Color ©:

BIRTHDAY BIRTHDAY
PRICED ’ PRICED -

$67 = 897
Flex Wear Flex Wear

Clear Color
BIRTHDAY BIRTHDAY
PRICED PRICED |:

51278157

We promise tatal comfort or total refund |
. . e

We make you took good,

145 East | 3th Street
987-8175
Vancouver: 557 Granville 5t., 681-7202
“6 100% Western Canadian Renae

ez i
Owned & Operated aa