Massey Tunnel replacement bridge lone supportive mayor 'very disappointed'

The only Metro Vancouver mayor who supported the provinces's plans to replace theGeorge Massey tunnel with a 10-lane bridge is speaking out after her peersunanimously rejected theproject.

Delta Mayor Lois Jackson says she wasfrustratedthat both sides of the argument were not sufficiently heard.

"The story, the rebuttal, it's just not out there and it's very sad," said Jackson in an interview with CBC Radio's The Early Edition.

On Thursday, the Metro Vancouver Board spokeout collectively against the $3.5-billion crossing.

In a written statement, the other mayors highlighted issuessuch as alack of consultation, ecological impact and negative effects on transit ridership.

Jacksonsaid she felt "a lot" of pressure to side with her peersbut remains adamant as the lonedissenter.

For every one of their concerns, the Delta mayorsays she has a rebuttalbut just hasn't been afforded the opportunity to do so.

She claims meetings have been held "behind closed doors" in a committeeshe is not a part of.

"I go to the main in-camera meeting, and I get fiveminutes to rebut everything they're saying," she said. "It's just not right."

Aboutthe money

Jacksonsays40 per cent of people usingthe Massey tunnel are from Surrey, White Rock and Langley and themajority are destined for Richmond.

She believes themayors of those cities ignored her argument for swiftercommutes,because they'd rather benefit themselves rather than the largerregion.

"What they want is the money that the province [is]putting into this bridge, they want it in their own communities for rapid transit. That's the bottom line."