'Short sea shipping' for Vancouver?

[John H]

Came across a news article on CBC this evening related to the George Massey Tunnel replacement debate.  The outgoing Liberal government has been strongly in support of replacing the 4-land tunnel with a 10-lane bridge.  Almost all the mayors in the area are against the idea, with the exception of Delta mayor Lois Jackson.  The fear is that traffic congestion will simply move up Highway 99 to the 4-lane Oak Street Bridge.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/longshoreman-traffic-congestion-1.4204415

An alternative idea has been put out there by the president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 400, about creating a 'short-sea shipping' network around the Lower Mainland.  Instead of having trucks moving all the containers from the 4 container ports (2 on south shore of Burrard Inlet, and 2 on the south Fraser: one on Fraser River and one on Roberts Bank), some containers would be transferred to barges and shipped to smaller, more local, unloading terminals distributed around the region.  In theory, this would reduce truck traffic through bottlenecks like bridges and tunnels.


I'm skeptical that this would solve the problem of the George Massey Tunnel in itself.  But I think it's an interesting idea.  Our network of waterways are not used nearly as much as they could be.  If we invested more in taking advantage of the inlets and rivers all around us to transport goods and people, we'd probably have less congestion on our roads - but more on the water!

[Starsteward]

Jul 13, 2017 21:54:18 GMT -8 John H said:

Came across a news article on CBC this evening related to the George Massey Tunnel replacement debate.  The outgoing Liberal government has been strongly in support of replacing the 4-land tunnel with a 10-lane bridge.  Almost all the mayors in the area are against the idea, with the exception of Delta mayor Lois Jackson.  The fear is that traffic congestion will simply move up Highway 99 to the 4-lane Oak Street Bridge.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/longshoreman-traffic-congestion-1.4204415

An alternative idea has been put out there by the president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 400, about creating a 'short-sea shipping' network around the Lower Mainland.  Instead of having trucks moving all the containers from the 4 container ports (2 on south shore of Burrard Inlet, and 2 on the south Fraser: one on Fraser River and one on Roberts Bank), some containers would be transferred to barges and shipped to smaller, more local, unloading terminals distributed around the region.  In theory, this would reduce truck traffic through bottlenecks like bridges and tunnels.


I'm skeptical that this would solve the problem of the George Massey Tunnel in itself.  But I think it's an interesting idea.  Our network of waterways are not used nearly as much as they could be.  If we invested more in taking advantage of the inlets and rivers all around us to transport goods and people, we'd probably have less congestion on our roads - but more on the water!

    Replacing the "GMT' with a 10-lane bridge is being driven by Port Metro Vancouver, not so much for the movement of vehicle traffic but for a reason that the Port
    authority has been rather secretive about. Word is that the height of the bridge would allow for a very deep-dredging of the channel allowing deeper draft vessels
    access to port facilities further upriver, namely the Fraser Surrey Dock complex.
    Marine biologists are concerned that any deep dredging of the channel will have a negative impact on wetlands and other foreshore environs.
    Port Metro Vancouver don't give a fig that vehicle traffic will just pile up at the north end of Highway 99, the Oak Street Bridge and subsequently to the woefully
    inadequate city street grid. Has anyone tried to navigate through Oak St. at 70th late in the afternoon? Total joke!
    I usually have a lot of time for Mayor Jackson but she's being totally myopic on this one! Yes, a big new bridge would get the traffic through her fiefdom of Delta but
    Richmond and specifically Vancouver get an intolerable increase in vehicle traffic 'snarl' and carbon monoxide levels that should set off alarm bells!
    So what we have here are several stakeholders with selfish objectives rather than a group of stakeholders coming to the table with a plan that takes everyone's needs
    into account.
    The proposed 10-lane bridge at a projected cost of one billion dollars is undoubtedly music to the ears of the construction industry.
    I see many engineering projects world-wide that are innovative, cost effective and surprise, also create tons of jobs!
    The only part of the puzzle missing with our local project is a plan that works for everyone: the unrestrictive movement of all types of vehicle traffic, boats/ships 
    laden with cargo, and an enhanced, not destroyed environment.
    Can't we accomplish these objectives for One Billion Dollars?