The city will soon seek permission from Victorians to borrow the funds necessary to replace the Johnson Street Bridge. As we take steps toward one of the most exciting projects in Victoria's history, it is important complete, accurate information is available.

We're taking stock of everything from roads and sewer pipes to buildings and bridges to determine where we need to invest to keep the city moving. The aging Johnson Street Bridge -- a main corridor to the region's economic centre -- was assessed over eight months by a respected bridge engineering firm. It conducted a thorough assessment of structural (including seismic vulnerability), electrical and mechanical systems.

In April, council received the assessment, which revealed the bridge was in need of significant attention. Investing in the bridge is a "must do," not a "nice to do." A decision had to be made.

Armed with assessments about the structural and operating condition, heritage value, safety, sustainability, capital costs, future operating costs and the impacts construction might have on downtown, council discussed at length and determined replacement to be the right decision.

Over the past eight months, I have heard from literally thousands of citizens who have expressed support for replacement, decisive action and acting on a plan that considers the needs of today and tomorrow.

As we invest in our aging infrastructure, we must also seize opportunities to improve. The new bridge will be a world-class design, adding an enhanced pedestrian walkway, on-street bike lanes, a multi-use path and improved road alignment, making travel safer and easier.

Community participation in this process has been remarkable. An astounding 5,000 people provided input on the bridge designs.

Support for replacing the bridge does not stop in Victoria. In October, the federal government announced the largest infrastructure investment in Victoria's history with a contribution of $21 million for a new, improved bridge.

It would have been shortsighted to spend more than $35 million to repair a bridge that would only last 40 years, have diminished heritage value and increasing maintenance costs and add no improved amenities.

Council's role is to make decisions that meet community needs, now and in the future. A new bridge will vastly improve safety for motorists and access for cyclists and pedestrians for another 100 years, while ensuring future generations won't have to face this issue in their lifetime.

We cannot take chances with downtown vitality. People avoid road closures and delays. Anything that deters people from coming downtown is detrimental to the businesses that create employment and keep our downtown thriving. We have seen the effect that Cambie Street transit work had on Vancouver businesses and we must do everything possible to protect our downtown economy.

The replacement option will minimize disruption to downtown business compared with what could have been months of closures and a potential loss of millions in economic activity.

Many of the questions we hear are the same questions council considered when making the decision to replace back in April. Replacing the bridge best meets the ideals of this community and provides the greatest value for money.

Property taxes will not increase as a result of this project. The cost of the new bridge equates to $19 per resident per year for 20 years, which is already accounted for within the budget. Due to strong fiscal planning and capital reserves, the city is in an excellent borrowing position and is in the process of securing an extremely low interest rate to finance the bridge. Further, we are still able to consider other projects such as parks, sewers and recreation facilities.

There are real costs to delaying construction. The longer we wait, the more it will cost. Interest rates and inflation are set to rise. Labour and supply costs will increase. Every day we do nothing we risk that the bridge will not open or not close due to obsolete operating systems, seriously affecting our downtown or our local marine industry.

We are working with a world-renowned architectural firm and one of the most respected engineering firms in Canada. We have a remarkable team of city professionals who have thoughtfully advised through this process and we're working closely with an outstanding group of citizen advisers.