DELTA, BC (June 7, 2010) Lack of information about the $1 billion, 40-kilometre South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR), continued traffic congestion around the Massey Tunnel and on the Alex Fraser Bridge after the SFPR is built, and the environment are three key concerns of businesses in Delta’s Tilbury industrial park.
In a study of business opinion commissioned by the Delta Chamber of Commerce about the impact SFPR will have on the Tilbury industrial community and related information needs, the top concerns of businesses were desire for faster completion and lack of information. Despite the positive benefit to business of the SFPR there was some opposition to the project and concerns about the surrounding environment.
A team of four graduating business students from BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology) conducted the survey by telephone and face-to-face over three weeks in April among 122 of the 650 businesses in Tilbury. The largest sector represented in the survey was manufacturing.
“Given the current state of traffic congestion throughout Delta, it comes as no surprise that the results of the survey revealed, ‘an overwhelming level of dissatisfaction with the current infrastructure’, “ says Delta Chamber of Commerce Chair John Appleby. “although there was, generally, a positive view of the SFPR. Business owners and managers surveyed were concerned at a lack of available information about the SFPR.”
Reflecting that overall dissatisfaction with the current status of traffic patterns on Delta highways and roads, the survey indicated that the top issues about accessibility to the Tilbury industrial park were: traffic volume, accidents, shortage of traffic lanes, lack of capacity to meet rush hour peak periods and generally increasing commuting time.
“We plan to act right away on behalf of the business community,” according to Appleby. “We will present a summary of the findings at a Delta Chamber luncheon on June 30 and we have invited the Corporation of Delta to speak on saving and developing more industrial land in the Tilbury area. We are working on a system to keep businesses better informed about the South Fraser Perimeter Road so they can make decisions. And we will continue to advocate as the voice of business in discussions with the Gateway Program, Delta Corporation and other authorities, not only about the Road, but other issues related to our highways, bridge and tunnel.”
The Delta Chamber of Commerce commissioned the study by BCIT business school students under their Directed Studies Program. Its purpose was to gather information on the needs of businesses resulting from the construction of the South Fraser Perimeter Road. The Delta Chamber uses the results of the survey to represent the business case by sharing its findings and recommendations with municipal, regional and provincial governments. The BCIT research team included Malina Chhuon, Gary Doyle, Elda Pinckney, and Michael Procter.
The Delta Chamber of Commerce is a 450-member non-profit corporation of member companies and organizations in Delta acting as the voice of business locally, provincially and nationally. In addition, it provides business networking opportunities, discounted services and educational opportunities to its members.
CONTACT:
John Appleby, Chair
Delta Chamber of Commerce
604 710 2836
jsapple@telus.net