Editor:
I have noticed a few letters to the editor recently expressing concern about the traffic issues in Delta and the Lower Mainland in general. As the population continues to grow, prepare yourselves people!
I moved to the Vancouver area 18 years ago and the one thing I have always scratched my head about is its woefully inadequate road system. I do not pretend to have visited every major metropolitan centre in the world, but I have seen quite a few and Vancouver's road system is without question the worst I have ever experienced.
It is absolutely mind-boggling the George Massey Tunnel is reduced to one lane at certain times of the day, yet is expected accommodate thousands of vehicles. Yikes.
It took me nearly 90 minutes to get downtown from Tsawwassen the other night, a distance of 32 kilometres. That is beyond ridiculous.
I think it's safe to say one of the primary reasons for erratic and aggressive drivers here is the constant gridlock and lack of route options.
I was on a business trip to Tampa a couple of weeks ago and had to drive from the downtown core to St.
Petersburg, a distance of 40 kilometres. At 5 p.m. (rush hour) it took me less than 30 minutes to get there.
This is in a city on the water with multiple bridges and a population of about 2.5 million. Sound familiar?
Other metro centres in Canada (Ottawa, Saskatoon, Winnipeg) all have more expansive highway systems to accommodate much smaller populations. Seattle and San Francisco are in similar settings and they both have robust freeway networks. What were the urban planners thinking out here? Were they thinking?
Let's face it: Vancouver is nice to look at but it can never truly be considered a world-class city with the current highway system. It's an embarrassment and a disgrace.
Joel Hueston
