Washington governor calls for high-speed rail to Vancouver
$1-million study looking at a link with service of at least 400 km/h
A high-speed rail line between Vancouver and Seattle could be financially self-sufficient and have enough riders to be viable, says the governor of Washington state.
Gov. Jay Inslee told the B.C. legislature Tuesday it’s time to seriously consider a new rail service that would cut travel time between the Lower Mainland and Seattle to one hour from the current three. Inslee offered no specifics on the project, but suggested a study his government conducted on the proposal — set to be released Dec. 15 — will show the demand and financial projections are positive.
“I think what this study is going to show is very much there is a great demand for it — which, frankly, is not too surprising when you look across the world at the success of these high-speed corridors,” Inslee told reporters in Victoria after he addressed MLAs in the legislature.
“The second question is potential financing. We’re going to look at this report in detail, but we’ve been advised it will show this is something that could be self-sustaining in a sense from an operational perspective.
“There are a thousand questions about how to do the exact financing. Those are questions we’ll have to grapple with.”
The state government authorized $1 million last year to study the rail line. It proposes an ultrahigh-speed rail service of at least 400 kilometres an hour between Vancouver and Portland, Ore., with stations in Bellingham, Seattle, SeaTac Airport, Tacoma, Olympia and Vancouver, Wash., with an option to connect to a similar system in California.
The study will examine the economic feasibility, financing, demand, rail corridor land, technology, safety and whether an existing highway or railroad would be suitable for the route. Any such rail service is likely to cost billions of dollars to construct.
It’s expected the study will show annual ridership could reach 1.8 million passengers annually, and give scenarios involving ticket prices and potential routes.
“I will just tell you I’m bullish about this corridor between British Columbia and the state of Washington,” Inslee said. “I believe we should have nothing but optimism about our growth potential, and growth potential will be accelerated to the extent we can travel in an hour rather than three hours in safety and comfort.”
“It’s hard for me to believe that our tremendous province and state that is so forward looking and so technologically advanced would not have growth that would be well suited for this type of transportation infrastructure.”
Premier John Horgan said he’s flagged two concerns already, which include the existing curvy rail line alignment from the U.S. border, as well as the potential slowdown caused by customs. Horgan said one of the biggest challenges in increasing direct float plane service between
Vancouver and Seattle has been the Canada Border Services Agency — a complaint he raised last week in person with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“If we’re going to have highspeed rail, we’re going to need to have border checks and customs activity done along the way, because if we stop for an extended period of time we’re defeating the purpose,” Horgan said.
The idea of a high-speed link between Seattle and Vancouver has been previously endorsed by hightech firm Microsoft. B.C. Business Council president Greg D’Avignon said that although more studies have to be done, the service could help alleviate congestion and barriers to growth.
“While the council waits to see the results of the Washington state study to understand the economic and financial impact, we believe high-speed rail between Vancouver and Seattle has the potential to be a strategically significant infrastructure project connecting the Cascadia Innovation Corridor,” D’Avignon said in a statement.
“It would also allow for greater regional opportunities in tourism, and growth in the exports of services and goods. It would also provide a competitive advantage in attracting global talent who are looking to live and work in innovative, thriving economies with efficient transportation networks.”
Inslee’s Victoria speech was the first time since 1984 that a Washington governor has visited the B.C. legislature.
He used the opportunity to address fears of U.S. President Donald Trump’s effect on the relationship between the United States and Canada, saying it should not stop the province and state from pursuing climate-change initiatives or efforts to increase tourism.
“The divisiveness and the conflict and the just inane tweeting has created a sense of anxiety and concern,” Inslee said.
“And I think it’s very important to not let that prevent us from going about our lives and enjoying ourselves and going about our relationships and travelling as much s we want to … we cannot be daunted by this particular president.
“I don’t want people in British Columbia for one second to think about not travelling to Washington state because they are concerned about the president of the United States. Maybe as a show of defiance you ought to come twice as often — how is that?”
Inslee said climate change and environmental protection remain the defining issue for both countries, and cited the growing risk of large wildfires and flooding for his state and the province.
“Today I’m here in the hopes that together we will usher in a new era, one that moves past polluting fossil files and embraces a clean energy future,” he said. “If we are remembered for anything 100 years from now, this is what we’ll be judged on.”
There was nothing hidden about one item on the agenda Tuesday as Washington Gov. Jay Inslee became the first leader from his state to address the B.C. legislature in more than 30 years.
Three times in the course of a 15-minute address did Inslee offer reassurances over the international anxieties raised by U.S. President Donald Trump.
He did it when praising the process of democracy in his state and our province.
“It’s important to say that, I think, right now, because with everything happening in our White House in Washington, D.C., I know that many nations have questioned our nation’s leadership on some very important issues,” he said.
“They’ve questioned whether we will remain a country of openness and opportunity, of inclusion and innovation, of equality and environmental stewardship. Today let me say this: our nation and my state will never surrender the principles that gave us what we are today.”
He went back to the theme a second time in boasting how his state was one of the first to take on the Trump administration and challenge what he termed its “illegal and immoral” crackdown on refugees and immigrants.
“I’m proud that we were one of the several states to join the lawsuit to protect undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. They are not a danger. They are dreamers,” declared Inslee, drawing spontaneous applause from all three parties in the B.C. legislature.
He returned to the elephant in the room a third time, in praising British Columbia for its budding partnership with Washington in fighting climate change.
“I want to assure this assembly that no matter who is in the White House, it won’t affect Washington state’s relationship with Canada or British Columbia,” the governor vowed.
“It cannot stop us from moving forward on climate change. It cannot stop us from establishing global and subnational coalitions. It cannot stop individual states from capping carbon. It cannot stop our businesses from inventing new and creative solutions.”
Given the severity of his remarks, Inslee was asked in the followup news conference whether he was worried that a Trump backlash could discourage British Columbians from travelling to his state.
“We cannot be daunted by this president,” he returned. “Maybe as a show of defiance, you should come twice as often.” Extraordinary times.
In the course of the day, I looked back to the last time a Washington governor addressed the B.C. house.
The date was Feb. 14, 1984. Then-Gov. John Spellman came north to announce that his state would be participating in Expo 86, much to the satisfaction of then-B.C. premier Bill Bennett, who was still fending off pressure to cancel the Vancouver-based world’s fair.
Some of the other issues discussed by Spellman and Bennett — trade, transportation, the environment, the endangered salmon fishery, cross-border electricity sales — would not have been out of place on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting between Horgan and Inslee.
Spellman, a Republican, was followed in office by five governors, all Democrats. Horgan is the ninth occupant of the office of B.C. premier since Bennett resigned 31 years ago. But until Trump came along, it was inconceivable that the focus of a speech in B.C. by a visiting U.S. governor — whether delivered in the legislature or out of it — would contain such a mixture of disdain and outright contempt for the president of the United States. Which is not to say Inslee’s words were unwelcome.
Otherwise, the governor buried a bone of long-standing contention between his state and this province, when he praised B.C. for finally getting going on sewage treatment in the provincial capital.
“Thank you for investing in the capital regional district’s waste water treatment project,” he told MLAs.
“In doing so, you’re helping water quality in the Salish Sea. I saw the construction coming in. We appreciate it.”
If nothing else, he and the residents of his state are patient.
It has been 25 years since then-B.C. premier Mike Harcourt fended off a threatened tourism boycott of Victoria by promising then-Washington Gov. Mike Lowry that sewage treatment would be in place within 15 years.
The governor tipped his hat to British Columbia a second time, when he acknowledged this province’s leadership on the climate action file.
“My state is fortunate to have distinguished leaders to our north who recognize the importance of this problem. You are helping lead the world in this regard. I personally appreciate it on behalf of my state and my grandchildren.”
He did not specifically mention B.C.’s innovative carbon tax, perhaps because one patterned on B.C.’s original revenue-neutral model was voted down in Washington state last year.
Then again, the Horgan government has made a point of rejecting revenue neutrality as well.
For the rest, Inslee and Horgan clearly hit it off, talking high-speed rail, seaplane service between Vancouver and Seattle, softwood lumber and high-tech jobs in the public sessions, then schmoozing about professional sports teams as soon as they got out of the house and in to the followup reception.
Nearing the end of the visit, a reporter asked the governor for his observations on the hottest item on Premier Horgan’s agenda, whether to continue or cancel Site C.
“My observation is that he will make the right decision,” said Inslee with the appropriate nod to his host, all but guaranteeing he’ll be invited back soon.
We cannot be daunted by this president ... as a show of defiance, you should (visit Washington) twice as often.
JAY INSLEE, Washington state governor