GVRD Residents Support Third Crossing

Vancouver, BC - A new Ipsos-Reid survey conducted on behalf of TransVision, and released today reveals that most (77%) Greater Vancouver residents support a proposal to build a privately financed toll-tunnel for vehicles and rail service from Vancouver to the North Shore. This support is set against a backdrop of seven in ten (69%) residents who say that the current Lions Gate and Second Narrows Bridges are not sufficient to handle the current level of vehicle traffic coming from or going to the North Shore. Nine in ten (60%) say the bridges will not be sufficient for the level of traffic ten years from now.

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted on behalf of TransVision between January 15th and 22nd, 2002. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 600 adult residents of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD). With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 4.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population in the GVRD been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual GVRD population according to the 1996 Census data.

Three Quarters (77%) of GVRD Residents Support Proposal to Build a Toll-Tunnel from Vancouver to the North Shore

Three quarters (77%) of GVRD residents say they support a proposal that would see the construction of a third crossing, in the form of a tunnel, from Vancouver to the North Shore that would carry both vehicles and rail service and would be "financed privately and supported by user tolls". This includes four in ten (41%) who "strongly support the proposal" and one third (36%) who "somewhat support" the proposal. In contrast, only one in five (21%) oppose the proposal (11% "somewhat", 10% "strongly").

• While support is high in all regions, it is highest (83%) in the rest of the GVRD as opposed to the North Shore (76%) or Central Vancouver (includes Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster) (72%) regions.

Most Residents (69%) Say Lions Gate and Second Narrows Bridges are Not Sufficient to Handle Current Level of Traffic - 90% Say Bridges Will Not be Sufficient in 10 Years Time

Support for a new tunnel is set against the backdrop of a majority (69%) of residents who disagree that the "Lions Gate and Second Narrows bridges are sufficient to handle the current level of vehicle traffic going to, from, or through the North Shore." Four in ten (43%) residents "strongly disagree" and a quarter (26%) "somewhat disagree" that the current crossings are sufficient.

Moreover, nine in ten (90%) residents say that the current bridges will not be sufficient to handle the "level of vehicle traffic going to, from, or through the North Shore in ten years time".

• Perception that the bridges are not sufficient to handle the current level of traffic is consistent across all regions but highest in the North Shore (76%) and lowest in Central Vancouver (65%).
• Similarly, the perception that the bridges will not be sufficient to handle the level of traffic in ten years time is consistent across all regions (North Shore - 88%, Central Vancouver - 89%, and Rest of GVRD - 90%).

-30-
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Kyle Braid
Vice- President
Ipsos-Reid
(604) 257-3200