Editor:

Ann Fessenden's letter to the editor in the Nov. 12 issue regarding high transit taxes raises some valid points. It misses on a couple of others, however.

Nobody will dispute that Langley residents are underserved by public transit. Years of neglect have left the system so far behind population growth that we will never see Vancouver levels of service in our lifetimes. She is also correct that we pay a disproportionate amount into the system for what we get locally.

That's not really Translink's fault, however. These problems have been entrenched for decades, long before Translink was created. They are in the unenviable position of having to catch up with one hand tied behind their back financially.

So who is to blame? All of us, and yet, nobody. Instead of having a long-term vision of how to contend with population growth in the Lower Mainland, we mindlessly develop here, there and everywhere. There is nobody in charge of the big picture. Accordingly, it's impossible for government to keep up with new schools, hospitals, roads, transit, etc. On top of that, we don't want to pay more for these system improvements.

So how do we solve this dilemma? With careful planning and fairness.

Everybody needs to realize that one size does not fit all. Langley will never be like Vancouver, and yet we're all in this together. Commercial Drive anti-car zealots must realize that the automobile is the most efficient way to get around vast areas of Greater Vancouver and that Skytrain will never go to Hope. Valley residents must also respect urban residents who don't want us driving through their neighbourhoods day in, day out. Transportation is not about only this or only that. It's a gradation of options based on population density.

Ms. Fessenden expects a bus at her rural doorstep every 10 minutes. That would never happen. It's not economically viable for Translink to provide that service. She could walk, cycle, carpool, or drive to local destinations, or drive to public transit if she's going further. (I do admit it would be nice if we had real park and rides at each freeway interchange with actual buses to take us places). She should pay proportionately less for public transit and more for roads and bridges. Note that Translink pays for roads and bridges, too.

Somebody living "in town" should expect excellent transit options, and should pay a surcharge for driving. A penalty, if you will, for driving when you have alternate, greener options. Years ago Translink wanted to institute a vehicle levy. A Vancouver resident with a bus stop in front of their house would pay $75 while transit-less Aldergrove residents would pay $300. The levy was cancelled because it was exactly opposite to what was needed to encourage transit use. More recently a parking stall tax was cancelled because it taxed businesses with parking and not the store next door with no parking. This lack of common sense is mind-boggling.

People will pay if they think the system is fair. That's not to say Aldergrove residents shouldn't pay anything. We do escape from our little town from time to time, and yes, actually use a road or a bus elsewhere.

If we leave the GVRD and Translink, we will be sabotaging our own future livability. To be a part of the solution you have to be at the table.

Ross MacIntosh