Honourable Rob Fleming, MLA
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
Room 124, Parliament Buildings
Victoria, B.C.
V8V 1X4
Dear Minister Fleming,
Re: Continued need for a comprehensive transportation and infrastructure plan
In January 2021, I wrote to you to express the urgent need for your Ministry to develop a comprehensive province-wide plan to strengthen and support transportation and infrastructure in B.C. While I have received a reply from you about other transportation issues I have raised over the past few months, you did not indicate whether you would commit to developing such a plan in consultation with industry stakeholders.
I urge you to take action on this and address many of the issues relating to transportation and infrastructure in our province, so that we have healthy and viable transportation networks to aid economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.
One such issue is ensuring that B.C. gets its fair share of federal infrastructure dollars to support vital projects. We know that the federal government is planning on investing in infrastructure to aid economic recovery, but we need your government to press your federal counterparts to ensure that B.C. gets the funding it needs.
This kind of funding will be necessary to get key projects built. B.C. has many major infrastructure projects that need action from this government, including:
- the George Massey Tunnel Replacement in Richmond and Delta;
- a replacement for the Taylor Bridge over the Peace River;
- the expansion of Highway 1 through Langley and Abbotsford;
- transportation access to Royal Columbian Hospital;
- improvements to the Brunette Highway 1 interchange in New Westminster; and
- the repair and rebuild of rural roads throughout the province and so many others.
These are all desperately needed infrastructure projects that have been delayed, cancelled, or seen little progress under your government. Not only is this infrastructure essential for the continued movement of people and goods around our province, but its construction would also create jobs and opportunities that will be needed for economic recovery.
I encourage you to take immediate action to make the most of the upcoming summer season, to capitalize on the window of opportunity to get work done in the North and in other areas where construction cannot take place for much of the year. This is particularly relevant for rural roads like the Dog Creek Road near Williams Lake and the Quesnel Hydraulic Road. Many of these rural roads, including resource roads and culvert structures, need to be repaired, repaved, or rebuilt, and will need further attention should flooding and landslides occur.
From support for transportation services and businesses, to prioritizing resources for major infrastructure projects, we need a comprehensive plan to invest in B.C. transportation networks. I strongly encourage you to engage with industry stakeholders and take the steps necessary to ensure that our transportation networks are viable and ready to support the needs of British Columbians for years to come.
Sincerely,
Michael Lee
Official Opposition Critic for
Transportation, Infrastructure and TransLink
MLA, Vancouver-Langara
CC: Shirley Bond, Interim Leader of the Official Opposition
