Right to be skeptical of transportation projects

Re: “E&N punching bag takes more hits,” column, Nov. 30.

Les Leyne claims that the NDP is re-examining both the Massey bridge and the proposed commuter rail on the E&N for strictly political purposes. In fact, there are many good reasons to be skeptical of both projects.

The Massey bridge project proposes to eliminate traffic congestion through the four-lane Massey Tunnel by replacing it with a 10-lane, $3.5-billion bridge. Addressing congestion by massively expanding road capacity is a 1950s approach that has been ineffective wherever it has been attempted: The added capacity just encourages more people to drive, and the expensive new road or bridge soon becomes just as congested as what it replaced.

Twenty of 21 Metro Vancouver mayors oppose the project because it goes against the regional growth strategy.

As for the E&N, the government has said that it is going to step back and take a more comprehensive look at the entire corridor between Langford and Victoria. It wants to look at not just the E&N but also the Douglas Street/Trans-Canada Highway corridor and at other transportation options.

This makes complete sense. Extensive work by B.C. Transit identified Douglas Street/Trans-Canada Highway as the most viable route for rapid transit to the West Shore, while previous studies for the Ministry of Transportation have shown that commuter rail on the E&N could cost more than $50 per trip and would require a much bigger subsidy than bus rapid transit. Rob Maxwell Victoria