Hwy 99 Fraser River Tunnel (George Massey Replacement) | Proposed

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by Alex Mackinnon

It's a chicken and egg problem, and a bit of a silly point.

The marginal cost of having a bikeway in the tunnel is likely not that large. There likely needs to be a an emergency exit path that's not a roadway. Fire code and exiting requirements and considerably stricter than they used to be when the original tunnel was built.

Ventilation requirements are also likely stricter than previously. There may need to be ventilation openings in the tunnel cross section as well, for things like forced air or exhaust ventilation. If they don't need to be the full height of the box, then there's likely space for a pedestrian/bike sized opening.

For the demand side, if you prohibit a type of user then you have no idea if there was latent demand. Massey is one of the only crossings around that doesn't have a sidewalk, and is in ideal terrain for cyclists. I've on various occasions crossed most of the regional bridges by bike, and I'm hardly a hardcore cyclist. If it was an option to cycle to the ferry without a huge detour I might go for it.

This is like people complaining that there was no demand for a product that hasn't existed previously. Right now, only the dumbest of users would try to cross it on a bike or scooter, but it still has happened. There's probably some demand there.

Sounds like the whole curb-cuts argument.

Curb cuts (for those that don't know) are the parts of the sidewalk curb at an intersection that slope down the street.

They were championed by guerilla advocates in San Francisco decades ago and have been part of every city's planning. People argued that they were a waste of money and only used by a tiny percentage of people and make the "curbs" look ugly, and were only a minor inconvenience anyhow.

They discovered that it was a HUGE benefit not just to those in wheelchairs, but moms with strollers, older ones with mobility issues, kids on tricycles...

Key choke points in infrastructure should cater to people first, and their metal-cased chariots second.

Besides, you never know how these things will be used. Who ever could have foreseen e-bikes opening up medium to long-distance cycling for people who otherwise would not ride? Best to build alternatives for people.