EDITORIAL: Ottawa, Victoria must get on board
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Updated: June 25, 2009 12:21 PM
TransLink is currently making the rounds across the Lower Mainland – including an appearance in White Rock last week that drew a rather hostile, pro-351-line crowd – asking the public for input.
But TransLink’s focus for the forums was not meant to be services, but the future of funding.
Should TransLink simply try to find $150 million more to maintain the transit system the way it is? Can it get by with $250-$275 million for modest improvements? Or does the transportation authority need $450 million more each year to fund expansions that keep pace with growth and development?
The first option would provide no expansion. This would mean worsening congestion in the years ahead.
Modest expansion would be possible with the second option, including 160 more buses over 10 years and another 100 SkyTrain cars. But there would be no new rapid transit lines and no significant improvement. This would require maxing out existing available funding sources, including imposition of the vehicle levy.
The best-case scenario is the last option – $450 million a year – which would allow for larger projects, including expansions to Evergreen, Broadway and Surrey rapid transit. In addition, this is the sole option that would allow the region to hit its target for greenhouse gas reductions, because it’s the only one that would deliver a significantly improved transit alternative.
But there’s a big catch: This option requires additional funding sources delivered by Victoria or Ottawa. While Metro residents seem willing to kick in more dough for parking taxes, transportation fees and vehicle levies, they also want to see the feds return more fuel taxes for transit. There is little appetite for fare increases and property tax hikes.
While the province has committed to a $14-billion transit plan, TransLink is facing higher operating costs that come with new transit lines and more buses. Funnelling carbon tax proceeds into transit – an option endorsed by area mayors but vetoed by the provincial government – would be a relatively painless way to feed more cash into the system.
The bottom line? TransLink needs adequate funding to run a realistic transit system that – with or without direct bus service to Vancouver – will properly service this fast-growing region. enior levels of government need to get on board.
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