BURNABY—The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) released a new music video today, calling on Premier John Horgan to admit he made a mistake cancelling the 10-lane bridge in 2017 that would have fast-tracked a real solution for the province’s biggest traffic jam.
Everybody’s Stuck at Massey (Horgan Killed That Bridge Dead) was released on Facebook and YouTube this morning. It is a follow up to another parody released by ICBA last month – Traffic’s Back (Horgan’s Parking Lot) – which has been viewed more than 80,000 times on Facebook.
“John Horgan and the Metro Vancouver mayors have tunnel vision on this project – they cannot see past their own bias to the broader infrastructure needs in the south Fraser, and it is commuters and taxpayers who are paying the price for their mismanagement,” said Jordan Bateman, VP-Communications for ICBA. “In 2017, strictly because it was the BC Liberals who approved it, Horgan killed a ten-lane bridge that was $900 million under budget and would have been more than half-built today – stranding thousands of drivers and transit users for another decade.”
A Metro Vancouver task force yesterday voted to recommend a new eight-lane tunnel, but did not look at any cost analysis, business plans or timelines. The task force also undersized the new tunnel, restricting the new lanes to transit use only.
“Every day, the Massey’s three rush hour lanes are jammed, causing the biggest backup in B.C., and one of the worst in Canada,” said Bateman. “The mayors and John Horgan’s solution is to replace those three jammed lanes with exactly the same number of lanes. It’s ludicrous to spend billions on something that will last half a century and not substantially increase capacity or give relief to drivers.”
The tunnel option is more about the provincial government punting a new crossing down the road, Bateman said. Not a single dollar has been allocated for a new Massey in the province’s three-year spending plan, and a new tunnel will require years’ worth of new study and environmental applications.
“Given the Premier’s preference that this be a tunnel and that the process start over from scratch, it does not seem like he is terribly committed to building any new crossing at Massey,” said Chris Gardner, ICBA President. “Because of its sweetheart deal with its building trades union supporters – cutting 85 per cent of construction workers out of building those projects – this provincial government is grossly overspending elsewhere. Now the cheques are coming home to be cashed, and the government is out of money to do anything at Massey. Sadly, it’s the Massey drivers who are paying the price for the government’s union monopoly and incompetence.”
Both videos point viewers to BuildMassey.ca, an ICBA website where people can email Horgan and Transportation Minister Claire Trevena, demanding an adequate new crossing be built.
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