conclusion

Numerous studies show that building new roads and freeways does not reduce congestion in cities. In fact, road expansions inevitably lead to an increased level of car dependency, inducing traffic and increasing air pollution (Pierce, n.d.). A recent article in the Georgia Straight stated that “Any expanded roadway in a growing urban region like Metro Vancouver will quickly fill up, and create new bottlenecks and increased congestion” (Doherty 2010). Many studies have also shown that highways encourage sprawling development (Cuff 2007). With urban expansion, people become even more dependent upon their cars for transportation and air pollution increases even more. Therefore, the SFPR would not just serve to change the route of existing container truck and vehicle traffic, but it would serve to increase cumulative levels of air pollution in Metro Vancouver.

In our project, we have discussed the impacts of air pollution on human, animal, and environmental health. We have also shown which community assets and populations would be made more vulnerable to air pollution due to the construction of the SFPR. We then inquired as to whether there was any relationship between the proposed route of the SFPR and household income and immigrant status, but found no relationship existed. Finally, we predicted how much NO2 levels would increase along the proposed route of the SFPR and we discussed the harmful health impacts of NO2 and PM2.5.

There are several alternatives to the construction of the SFPR, ones which would improve the movement of goods and traffic, without significantly increasing car dependency and air pollution in Metro Vancouver. These alternatives also offer better long-term solutions to traffic and congestion. The first alternative is short-sea shipping. This would involve carrying container traffic down the Fraser River by barge. For more information on short-sea shipping, check out the following study done on short-sea shipping in Vancouver (conducted by Novacorp International).
A second alternative is to expand and electrify the currently diesel-powered rail networks in Metro Vancouver. At the same time, investments in public transportation that are convenient, affordable, and fast would free up space on existing roads and decrease congestion for necessary vehicle traffic. For more information on transportation alternatives for Metro Vancouver check out the following research paper by Eric Doherty.