Editor,
I would like to follow up on Malcolm Johnston's column.
The carnage on the roads is not really about our roads and highways. The main issues are the complete lack of understanding and complying with the rules of the road. Speeding is the main issue. Our society is bombarded with advertisements about the specs of 0 to 60. Every television ad shows the speed of the EV vehicles. Most people that drive EVs drive beyond the speed limits. I think all the people who buy EVs should take a defensive drivers course.
How about adding a mandatory commercial drivers knowledge test to every course? Make people realize the factors in getting that truck to stop when you cut them off in traffic or lose their safety cushion between them and the vehicle in front of them.
I notice that the higher the price tag for a vehicle is, the dumber the driver. There is a lever on your steering column the makes your turn signals work.
Next is the lack of enforcement. Every day I am on the road, I see hundreds of cars that do not know the meaning of a stop sign or the meaning of markings on the road. Double lines are not to be crossed. Most of the time an officer of the law is never around to see those violations, and if they do, they don't write tickets because our courts throwing out the case because the officer is too busy to attend court, so the fine is thrown out.
How can we stop speeding? It's simple. The manufacturers of cars and pickup trucks can install governors on these vehicles to limit top speed like they have on commercial trucks. Or utilize the navigation systems on new cars to slow down the cars when the GPS notices overspeed driving. I have other ideas, but let's start small.
Next is the fact that all cars come with signal lights as a standard piece of equipment on all cars. Time to use them, people.
So let's look at the usage of utilizing the former BC Electric Interurban line as a replacement for the SkyTrain.
Everyone wants to densify around any rapid transit systems. There seems to be a split in thinking about SkyTain being built. The government loves the idea of it. They are merely thinking of incoming tax dollars flowing into their coffers. The more density, the more tax money to get. People around any expansion line that is being built are complaining about lost revenue to their businesses.
Now let's look at the scenario of using the BC Electric line. Yes, the tracks are there for one-way travel most of the time. Adding another track would take away land from the Agricultural Land Reserve.
Why is this important? How much farmland would be lost to the developments, as most of this line runs through prime agricultural land. Not only that, but, as stated before, land density around the SkyTrain would wipe out a vast majority of farming land to the building of stations and high-density living complexes. I can't forget to mention parking lots around these developments needed to be built as well.
Next would be the rising costs of farm-to-table essentials because the farmers would want compensation for their losses.
OK, let's start on our glorious city planners. Wake up and look around. Plan 10 years into the future, not two or three. Look at the new Pattullo Bridge, for instance. It's still only four lanes wide, not six as needed even now.
You seem to think that expansions to the SkyTrain will take people out of their cars. Dream on. TransLink is already trying to cut services to the Fraser Valley. Thus more cars on the road.
Sorry not sorry to say this, but Mr. Johnson's belief in saving lives by investing in regional railways will not stop the carnage on the roads. No matter if you build SkyTrain or regional railroads, people will still drive cars because rapid transit doesn't get them to their eventual destinations.
Michael Neubert, Surrey
