With a divided four-lane roadway, each side would get two lanes. Unless the situation becomes like that of the Deas Tunnel with a counterflow lane, we fail to see how the fourth lane would even accommodate, much less encourage, more traffic. There is no room at either end of the bridge for counterflow lane infrastructure, so the point is moot. If this City Council had any more foresight than the many before it, they would look for ways to keep traffic flowing along Georgia Street. There is not any more traffic on city streets than any other major downtown area, just more hindrances to its steady flow.
Nobody wants above-ground freeways through downtown.
But surely things could be done on existing streets to minimize the impact of traffic and speed its flow. Like no left turns and no parking along Georgia, plus synchronized traffic lights. As for charging tolls to use the bridge, well, we can understand the unhappiness of North Shore users to have to pay to cross. It is worth it to save all that time travelling to the Interior. If they don't want to pay a dollar or so, they can go the long way around Second Narrows.