Submitted by Guest (not verified) on Wed, 2006-05-17 21:41.
Council seems resolved that it will be the South Option. Let's work to make sure this works and move on. There is a time to bitch and a time to be forward thinking.
As summer approaches I would really like for at least one of our major issues to be well down the road to completion before I take a break. I must admit that I am suffering from "issue fatigue" and would enjoy writing about great BBQ sauces and how to make the perfect margarita.
I spend most of my day reading and writing about, or researching issues that affect Delta and other communities for www.town-portal.com and am coming to realiize just how incredibly complex our particular problems are.
There is a common thread that has lots of "crosssover" on many of our local topics and it is transporation. The Port Expansion is a key driver here as is a low local employment rate and a lack of products and services in our community. What do we do with the trucks? Gateway North, South, Hoover Naas? The tunnel? Emissions, congestion, infringement on ALR by new infrastructure, damage to the environment, densification, zoning, more potential noise to East Ladner residents...... It literally goes on and on and on.....
Next time you are driving through the tunnel (alone), why don't you ask yourself the uncomplicated question before you start yapping about how there are so many trucks and that traffic was a nightmare. The obvious question is why are you in your car by yourself?
When I take the HOV lane I cannot believe how many single occupant vehicles (SOV's) there are. I literally laugh at the people clogging our arteries. It is a real joke! I'm more concerned about SOV's than I am about increased truck traffic from an expanded Port. What a bunch of hypocrites we are with our 2.5 or 3 cars per family stacked up on our expansive driveways. How many of us single occupant drivers are the same people who bitch about Port Expansion, Tunnel traffic and higher densities? I wonder?
We are close to being the leader of inter-municipal commutes in the GVRD. For a community that portays itself as so environmentally sensitive and aware we should not be taking this well. Commuters from our municipality take an average of 7 car trips per day. Apparently our walking threshold is five minutes. Walk from your house for 5 minutes. Then come home and draw a circle around your house from that point on a map. This is your walking threshold. If the Town Centre Mall is not in your cirlcle, that means that you likely drive to get your milk. How pathetic is that?
Smart Growth tells us how to build more liveable communities and how to integrate densities so that grating transportaion issues can be mitigated. Zoning in accordance with Smart Growth principles could provide for the density that we will need to ultimately lower our commuting ratio and our daily car trip total.
The next Smart Growth Discussion series is May 24 at the South Delta Baptist Church at 7Pm. It is unlikely that this destination is in your five minute circle so you should car pool if you would like to practise what you preach.
When does it make sense to drive your car? To the office by yourself? To the Safeway to buy eggs? Port expansion will not be the major contributor to our traffic problems. The problem will always be you and me when we drive by ourselves to Costco. < a href="http://www.smartgrowth.bc.ca/downloads/SGBC%20Transportation%20Policy.pdf"> CHECK THIS OUT
It amazes me how mant of our local issues tie in to traffic. I would like to start a shopping pool. I walk up to safeway and buy Milk and eggs for two or three families. Instead of me driving to Candian Tire to pick up a Hardware item that I need (if it isn't available here), I ask a friend who either works or travels through Richmond to pick it up for me. Simple... I know but do people actually do this? Apparently, if you commute, you take an average of seven car trips per day. If we could take just two of those trips out of the equation we would really be on to something. At least that is the way I see it.
TOWN PORTAL HELI-CAST
Council seems resolved that it will be the South Option. Let's work to make sure this works and move on. There is a time to bitch and a time to be forward thinking.
As summer approaches I would really like for at least one of our major issues to be well down the road to completion before I take a break. I must admit that I am suffering from "issue fatigue" and would enjoy writing about great BBQ sauces and how to make the perfect margarita.
I spend most of my day reading and writing about, or researching issues that affect Delta and other communities for www.town-portal.com and am coming to realiize just how incredibly complex our particular problems are.
There is a common thread that has lots of "crosssover" on many of our local topics and it is transporation. The Port Expansion is a key driver here as is a low local employment rate and a lack of products and services in our community. What do we do with the trucks? Gateway North, South, Hoover Naas? The tunnel? Emissions, congestion, infringement on ALR by new infrastructure, damage to the environment, densification, zoning, more potential noise to East Ladner residents...... It literally goes on and on and on.....
Next time you are driving through the tunnel (alone), why don't you ask yourself the uncomplicated question before you start yapping about how there are so many trucks and that traffic was a nightmare. The obvious question is why are you in your car by yourself?
When I take the HOV lane I cannot believe how many single occupant vehicles (SOV's) there are. I literally laugh at the people clogging our arteries. It is a real joke! I'm more concerned about SOV's than I am about increased truck traffic from an expanded Port. What a bunch of hypocrites we are with our 2.5 or 3 cars per family stacked up on our expansive driveways. How many of us single occupant drivers are the same people who bitch about Port Expansion, Tunnel traffic and higher densities? I wonder?
We are close to being the leader of inter-municipal commutes in the GVRD. For a community that portays itself as so environmentally sensitive and aware we should not be taking this well. Commuters from our municipality take an average of 7 car trips per day. Apparently our walking threshold is five minutes. Walk from your house for 5 minutes. Then come home and draw a circle around your house from that point on a map. This is your walking threshold. If the Town Centre Mall is not in your cirlcle, that means that you likely drive to get your milk. How pathetic is that?
Smart Growth tells us how to build more liveable communities and how to integrate densities so that grating transportaion issues can be mitigated. Zoning in accordance with Smart Growth principles could provide for the density that we will need to ultimately lower our commuting ratio and our daily car trip total.
The next Smart Growth Discussion series is May 24 at the South Delta Baptist Church at 7Pm. It is unlikely that this destination is in your five minute circle so you should car pool if you would like to practise what you preach.
When does it make sense to drive your car? To the office by yourself? To the Safeway to buy eggs? Port expansion will not be the major contributor to our traffic problems. The problem will always be you and me when we drive by ourselves to Costco. < a href="http://www.smartgrowth.bc.ca/downloads/SGBC%20Transportation%20Policy.pdf"> CHECK THIS OUT
A comment on the North Option in the < a href="http://www.delta-optimist.com/issues06/052106/news/052106nn4.html"> OPTIMIST
It amazes me how mant of our local issues tie in to traffic. I would like to start a shopping pool. I walk up to safeway and buy Milk and eggs for two or three families. Instead of me driving to Candian Tire to pick up a Hardware item that I need (if it isn't available here), I ask a friend who either works or travels through Richmond to pick it up for me. Simple... I know but do people actually do this? Apparently, if you commute, you take an average of seven car trips per day. If we could take just two of those trips out of the equation we would really be on to something. At least that is the way I see it.
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