To the Editor,
Re: Highway 4 ‘improvements’.
Mayor McRae, opposition MLA, Fraser, and BC Transport Minister, Lekstrom, are all dreaming in technicolour thinking that Hwy. 4, between Alberni and Ucluelet, can be saved by the taxpayer.
Give your heads a shake, gentlemen, that road is doomed by climate change’s increased rainfall and snow pack.
Fight for your taxes to be spent wisely for a change. Multitasking our tax dollars to produce spinoffs and triple-bottom-line development is the way forward.
I refuse to support sinking millions into a road that’s doomed. Keep it safe, for now, but for heaven’s sake let’s make a realistic, sustainable plan.
Precipitation will continue increasing in direct correlation with increasing GHG emissions. Long term, the highway is a write-off.
A twice daily, foot-passenger and truck ferry is needed between the Port of Alberni and Ucluelet with electric vehicles to rent in Ukee, and electric bus services for travel on the peninsula. This will create a different type of eco-tourism and the spinoffs for the region will be unlimited. This is a much better option than the controversial, coal port.
Two small-footprint terminals incorporating rising sea levels, are needed in Ukee and Alberni.
This will be a worthy challenge for our engineers if keeping the peninsula serviced by the taxpayer, with transport, is something we can do sustainably.
Who will pay? Considering the BC government can’t seem to fund it’s own judiciary perhaps it will have to be a public-private transportation partnership? Must we consider the dreaded 3P? Golden opportunities lay ahead for savvy entrepreneurs.
Jen Fisher-Bradley,
Port Alberni