Initiative will examine ways to reduce congestion that inhibits transportation along this vital trade and commuter corridor
NORTH VANCOUVER, Aug. 20, 2019 /CNW/ - The movement of goods through Vancouver's North Shore plays a significant role in Canada's international trade and economic strength. However, traffic congestion along this corridor is an impediment to growth and prosperity, and greatly impacts peoples' everyday lives.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for North Vancouver, and Terry Beech, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport and Member of Parliament for Burnaby North – Seymour, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD), announced $250,000 in funding to the City of North Vancouver to support its economic development initiative to analyze traffic congestion and recommend strategies to alleviate the problem. This work will complement and support work underway through the Integrated North Shore Transportation Planning Project (INSTPP).
With continued economic growth along Burrard Inlet, North Shore businesses face challenges in scaling up, due to major traffic congestion on the two bridges that connect the North Shore with the rest of the lower mainland. The City of North Vancouver will explore solutions to these issues with a goal of developing a business case for options such as rapid transit to the North Shore to be presented to Translink as part of the 2050 Metro Vancouver Transportation Strategy.
This funding delivered by WD aligns with a key departmental priority of supporting economic opportunities for western Canadian communities. Funding towards this project will help the City of North Vancouver find ways to overcome challenges that are preventing businesses along the North Shore from reaching their full economic potential.
Quotes
"Canada succeeds when businesses in regions like British Columbia—our gateway to the Pacific—can reach their full economic potential and create jobs for Canadians. With this funding, the Government of Canada is demonstrating its commitment to supporting jobs and economic growth on the North Shore and beyond."
- The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada
"A thriving ecosystem of innovative businesses, community organizations and employers are things that make the North Shore a great place to live. Unfortunately, traffic congestion has become a daily fact of life for too many people. While the federal, provincial and municipal governments are presently implementing a number of short and medium term measures to assist in addressing congestion issues, we need to be looking to longer term, more fulsome opportunities.
The development of a business case for solutions such as rapid transit done through the work being funded today, can help us take meaningful steps to improving mobility and bolstering economic development on the North Shore. I am very pleased to be supporting the work of the City of North Vancouver in this endeavor."
- The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for North Vancouver
"I am grateful to the many partners in this project for taking action to address the traffic congestion that comes with economic growth along the North Shore. By working together with provincial and municipal partners, I am confident that we will find real solutions for businesses and residents in the community."
- Terry Beech, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport and Member of Parliament for Burnaby North – Seymour
"This study will nicely complement the work that has been done through the Integrated North Shore Transportation Planning Project (INSTPP) and the fixed-link rapid transit feasibility study and we are thrilled to welcome the Government of Canada's contributions. For years, the fabled 'third crossing' has graced the lips of many North Shore residents as they battled congestion and imagined alternative ways to travel across the Burrard Inlet. Through the collaborative work of INSTPP, serious steps are finally being taken by senior levels of government in partnership with local governments."
- Bowinn Ma, MLA, North Vancouver-Lonsdale
"We're excited to see the federal government continue to invest in developing solutions to our transportation challenges here on the North Shore. As we continue to build on the work of INSTPP and look for new ways to address congestion, this significant contribution will complement this work and allow us to build an economic case for more transit investment on the North Shore."
- Linda Buchanan, Mayor, City of North Vancouver
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SOURCE Western Economic Diversification Canada
Ben Stanford, Regional Communications Manager, Western Economic Diversification Canada, 604-365-8050, [email protected]
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