Metro mayors counting on federal budget cash for transit
TransLink Mayors Council chair ‘extremely optimistic’ big cash contribution is coming
The federal government will release its 2017 budget Wednesday, the content of which Metro Vancouver mayors say is “extremely important” to the future of public transit in the Lower Mainland.
New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Côté, who chairs the TransLink Mayors Council’s funding strategy committee, said council members expect the federal government to commit a significant amount of money to the second phase of a 10-year regional transportation plan.
“We are extremely optimistic that we’re going to get some positive figures that come out of this federal budget that really could represent some of the largest federal contributions to public transit that we’ve ever seen,” said Côté.
Phase 2 of the three-phase plan includes three major capital projects: Replacing the aging Pattullo Bridge and constructing rapid-transit lines in Surrey and Vancouver.
Côté said there is no dollar figure attached to Phase 2 yet and cost estimates for the major projects haven’t been updated because TransLink and the province are still doing due diligence. The price tags for the Surrey light rail and Broadway subway were $2.14 billion and $1.98 billion, respectively, in 2014. The Pattullo replacement was pegged at $1 billion.
Côté said discussions between TransLink and federal officials indicate the region could receive up to 40 per cent of the capital costs of Phase 2’s major transit projects.
He said it’s possible the budget will include a commitment for all transit projects across Canada, but not be broken down by region or city. That could come in the days or weeks following the budget.
“We obviously hope they will be as specific as possible, because that will help us in our next steps, but until Wednesday we won’t know exactly the details,” Côté said.
When asked what would happen if the federal government didn’t announce any funding for Metro either in the budget or shortly thereafter, Côté said, “That would definitely change the dynamics of the discussions we’ve been having. We remain cautiously optimistic we will see substantial funding.”
However, he said the mayors are confident their proposal is strong and Metro Vancouver won’t be left out.
Côté said federal funding would be the first domino to fall and set Phase 2 in motion.
“I think the provincial government has hesitated to make a final commitment until we have a clear picture as to exactly what the federal contribution will be,” Côté said.
Thus far, the province has promised to fund one-third of major capital projects in Phase 2 — the two transit lines and the Pattullo Bridge — but has not committed to anything more.
Peter Fassbender, the minister responsible for TransLink, was unavailable to comment Monday, but said in the past it’s difficult to get into detailed funding discussions with TransLink without knowing what is coming from the federal government.
Given the budget is coming out just over a month before the provincial election, Côté said the expectation is conversations about Phase 2 transportation investments will come after the election. Approval would then take place at the end of this year or beginning of next year.
“We ... hope they will be as specific as possible, because that will help us in our next steps ... ” — New West Mayor Jonathan Côté