The Editor:
I am in full agreement that trains should be prioritized over more lanes in the Highway 1 expansion project.
Cars are an incredibly inefficient way to move people. In a large metropolitan area that is quickly growing in population, cars are simply too inefficient to move all the people needed. People will take trains and other public transportation if it's a good alternative to driving.
I have friends who commute from Vancouver to Chilliwack. They would absolutely love to take transit for have reasons: so they didn't need to spend energy on driving, money for gas, wear and tear on their car, and contributing to climate change. But there are no viable options.
That is the elephant in the room, of course: we are on a collision course with climate catastrophe. We desperately need to be shifting our society away from fossil fuel use. Electric cars are great, but not nearly as effective at reducing fossil fuel use as getting people onto public transportation.
The prioritization of roads over public transportation happened many decades ago due to lobbying by the auto and fossil fuel industries. It's time for that to end and focus on solutions that make sense for people and the environment.
Melissa Orobko
📢 SOUND OFF: Do you agree? Should trains be used to ease congestion and serve commuters through the Highway 1 corridor? What solutions would you like to see for long-term growth? Send us a letter.
