Traffic on Vancouver’s North Shore is a nightmare. The provincial government conceded this point a few years ago and now has identified possibilities for a new high-capacity crossing of the Burrard Inlet.

The list consists of six shortlist options that are deemed to fit with existing infrastructure and work with future land use and affordable-housing developments.

1. downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale via First Narrows (tunnel crossing)
2. downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale via Brockton Point (tunnel crossing)
3. downtown Vancouver to West Vancouver via Lonsdale (tunnel crossing)
4. downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale via Second Narrows (new bridge crossing)
5. Burnaby to Lonsdale via Second Narrows (new bridge crossing)
6. Burnaby to Lonsdale via Second Narrows (existing bridge crossing)

"We know that people living and working on the North Shore are frustrated with traffic congestion that has been increasing for years," said B.C. minister of transportation and infrastructure Claire Trevena quoted in a media release. "By investing in this study, our government is helping to take a serious look at solutions that expand our public transportation network to better connect communities and to help people move around freely. The results from this study will support the North Shore and surrounding communities with their long-term transportation planning."

The publication of the shortlist concludes phase one of the Burrard Inlet Rapid Transit Study. Phase two will see the six ideas for a new high-capacity crossing explored further.

"I hear from community members every day about how transportation challenges on the North Shore impact their lives," Bowinn Ma, NDP MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale, said quoted in the release. "In addition to seeking convenient ways to get around, people are eager to embrace more socially, environmentally responsible modes of transportation. This technical feasibility study to find a rapid transit solution across the Burrard Inlet is an important step toward a third fixed-link crossing to the North Shore."

TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond is quoted in the release emphasizing how a new connection between Vancouver and the North Shore fits into larger long-term plans for the region.

“This study will complement Transport 2050, Metro Vancouver’s blueprint for the next 30 years of transportation,” he said. “In the coming phase of public engagement for Transport 2050, we will ask residents and stakeholder groups to think critically about which transportation initiatives are the most important to the long-term liveability of our region. As the population of Metro Vancouver rapidly grows, it’s essential that the transit network also grows and expands to the places that need it most.”