Gateway Program (Vancouver)

The ministry introduced the Gateway Program on January 31, 2006, as a means to address growing congestion and reduce travel times.

The pre-design concept included one additional lane in each direction between the Port Mann Bridge and McGill Street.

[6] Attempts to mitigate these impacts have been made through refinements that occurred as a result of public consultation and the Environmental Assessment process.

In response to the mitigation measures proposed, the Environmental Stewardship Branch of Environment Canada wrote that "the changes are not sufficient to alleviate its concerns related to the impacts of the Project on Pacific Water Shrew (PWS), hydrology, aerial deposition, and ecological integrity of Burns Bog".

[11] The Wilderness Committee and other groups have criticized the SFPR, and the Gateway Program in general, for increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

[12] In the spring of 2011, a protest camp organized by StopThePave.org and the Council of Canadians occupied a SFPR construction site for almost two weeks.

The plan was for a fast route from the Queensborough bridge along the water through New Westminster and finally into Coquitlam by the Trans Canada Highway.

This was called the Stormont-McBride Connector, it was planned to go Highway 1’s Gaglardi Way interchange and the northern foot of McBride Boulevard at 10th Avenue.

The plan was to have a high speed connection from the north end of the Pattullo Bridge to Highway 1 going through New Westminster, with much of the route as an underground tunnel.

This plan was rejected as well, in 2020 by Burnaby city council out of concerns that it would cause induced demand in the region.

The Livable Region Coalition urged the former Minister of Transportation, Kevin Falcon, to consider more viable solutions to reducing congestion, including more rapid transit and improved bus routes.

[19] The David Suzuki Foundation claims the project violates the goals of the Livable Region Strategic Plan and does not consider alternative forms of transportation.

[20] The provincial government studies, conducted as part of the environmental assessment process, project an increase of 176,000 tonnes per year in greenhouse gas emissions.