Bridging the facts of a bridge

4 responses

  1. Elizabeth Keele says:

    Could you define a “similar fixed link”? If a tunnel is not a fixed link what else is aside from a bridge? What is the Chunnel then if it is not an “undersea railway tunnel linking France to England?” I quote wikipedia here. What did the framers of this law intend when they meant no “similar fixed link”? A bridge of another colour?

    • Mark McQueen says:

      Thanks for stopping by, Elizabeth.

      The 2005 federal law you refer to actually prohibits “a bridge or similar fixed link.” The word “similar” is tied to the word “bridge”. A causeway would be similar, I suppose, to a bridge fixed link because it is above water.

      According to two different polls over two years, conducted by two independent polling firms, the vast majority of Torontonians are in favour of the proposed Public-Private Partnership pedestrian tunnel.

      MRM

  2. Keith says:

    I’m not sure it’s a slam dunk that a tunnel is not a “similar fixed link” from a statutory interpretation perspective.

    Law aside, I think there should be a gondola (not joking).

    • Mark McQueen says:

      Thanks for stopping by Keith.

      There’s nothing about a pedestrian tunnel that’s similar to vehicle bridge. A bridge is built above water, carries cars, blocks sailboats, and is visible from shore.

      A pedestrian tunnel has none of those attributes.

      MRM

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *