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Local commuters
rely heavily on
bridge crossings

‘N. Shore residents make up
92% of total bridge users |

“THE LIONS ‘Gate’ Bridge
“has -been: the, ceiitre of at-
tention, forthe last few
years, ‘and that’ focus will no
doubt increase as time pro-
gresses.
cow The need to repair it, replace it
dd* another, Burrard _ Inlet
crossing is obvious. ;

‘Vancouver. and. its neighboring

municipalities : to ‘the nerth . co- .

exist..harmoniously’ in large . part
because: their respective: citizenries
‘are’able to ‘flow: freely over either
bridges that’ span Burrard

similar to that -

“Ol Halifax-Dartmouth ‘in. Nova
Scétia’: where +s

municipalities * are‘ separated by

water’. which is spanned by two ;

fear

scenario it has-been estimated that.”
25. million --vehicle: srossings of -

ions: ‘Gate ‘are made every year,

crossings: are: ‘nade. by North
Shore residents... :

North: Shore. becomes: a ee exe:

whenever se

“flow ‘on both, brdnee we
the goal (of both. ‘the
Vancouver Regional
District. (GVRD) and. the North
“Shore. municipalities to reduce our
dependence on private vehicles.
“One way, “being ‘explored is to
isin. place-on both™ ‘cross-
the theory being. that
dependence on the’ automobile will
diminish | because “the “cost . of
operating one would increase. :
“Would: North Shore residents
use ‘their “vehicles less and~ the
ransit system more?

~ Regional planners believe tolls

on: both crossings . would .reduce

our dependency on ‘the
automobile, and pay for any im-

provements to Lions Gate Bridge.
It would be safe to assume that
‘'tolls will be a reality as planners
are currently exploring how much
“to charge as atoll. -

Industrial. developer Peter

“Woodward has calculated that a-

one dollar toll (each way) on both

* . bridges, at current interest rates, ..

and-over a 25-year period, could
conservatively finance a $750 mil-
lion mortgage.

- Lions. Gate Bridge users would
pay approximately $288 million of

.wo adjacent: - teasoning goes.

By Kevin Gillies
Contributing Writer -

ings, they would pay $690 million
of that mortgage, or $27.6 million
per year.

So what would North Shore
residents get for such a-big in-
vestment?

Some believe. that kind: of
money could finance’ a. third
crossing that incorporates
vanced Light Rapid Transit
(ALRT). .

If North Shore residents ‘are to
use their vehicles less, they would
at least need an ALRT. connection
to Vancouver’s Skytrain, the

6A’ GVRD study,

‘Shore's inhabitants wil! increase,

its share of the region’s total pop- —

ulation will decrease. .
-This has fed GVRD planners to
the. belief that extending the

‘ALRT to the North Shore is un-

-mecessary,
Currently, the Seabus connects
the North Shore to. Vancouver's
Skytrain, ‘but takes longer to cross
Burrard Inlet than it does to drive
over.one of’ the bridges. to a

. Skytrain station. The Seabus also
economically- ”

lacks adequate,"
viable park-and-ride facilities.
Commuters. can drive to. their
destinations : in “Tess time for. less
money. “
‘A two-dollar ‘toll. is still ‘Tess

‘ money than bus fare (in rush-hour

traffic), but doubtfully would
reduce bridge traffic significantly.

While parking, fuel and in-
surance costs add to the burden of
operating a private vehicle, they
currently seem worthy of the in-
dependence a car brings to the 65
million people who cross the
bridges annually.

-The issue -is a complex one that

will’ be ‘discussed, studied and
analysed many times over. But the
process has already started, and
it's important that North ‘Shore
residents get involved because any
decisions made will greatly affect

their daily lives.

At Jeast the residents of Halifax
and Dartmouth have the option of
driving around the water.

- CAVALIER SPORT COUPE

. that ‘mortgage while Second Nar-': §

rows Bridge users would account
for $462 million.

Because North Shore residents
.make 92% of the bridges’ cross-

ed

>) i
a) |

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