We’ve heard the claim that a bridge to Gabriola would be better for the environment than having the ferry go back and forth multiple times each day between Gabriola and Nanaimo. Is that so?
Gabriola resident Steven Earl has posted about this on the Bridge Free Salish Sea site: Greenhouse gas implications of the Quinsam ferry versus a bridge. His summary says, in part:
All of scenarios examined resulted in an increase in the fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions for travel to and from Gabriola. The estimated increases ranged from 26% to 93% with the bridge option. The lowest number assumes that there is no increase in discretionary traffic and that 20% of current foot passengers use a bus. The highest number assumes that there is a 50% increase in traffic, and that 10% of current foot passengers use a bus.
Steven has made his full analysis available for your consideration.
