MORE BUSES ON THE WAY
Mayors approve $2-billion plan to boost bus, SkyTrain and other services
TransLink’s board and the Mayors’ Council have approved the first phase of a transit plan that will lead to improvements to bus, rail and SeaBus service, paid for in part by fare and property tax increases.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, the council chair, said he was “thrilled” by the unanimous vote Wednesday.
The first part of the three-phase, 10-year plan will increase bus service by 10 per cent across the region. HandyDart service will be increased by 15 per cent while rail service will be increased by 20 per cent following the delivery of new rail cars in 2018.
Improvements will also be made to the road, pedestrian and cycling networks, and planning will begin for the Broadway subway and Surrey-Langley light rail lines.
Implementation will begin in January.
The total cost of the first phase of the plan is $2 billion, with $370 million coming from the federal government and $246 million from the province for capital costs. TransLink is contributing $1.3 billion in capital and operational funding.
“We matched the funds that came from Victoria and Ottawa and we upped the ante,” Robertson said. “We raised the bar significantly to improve bus and SkyTrain and HandyDart service.”
Regional funding will come from a number of sources, including a property tax increase of about $3 per household per year.
The owner of a home assessed at $678,313 (the regional average in 2016) had $188 of their property taxes go to TransLink this year. Next year, without the adjustment, it would be $190. With the adjustment, it will be $193.
West Vancouver Mayor Mike Smith, who voted in favour of the plan “with reservations,” pointed out that those with higher valued properties will pay more, saying homeowners in his district will pay an average of $824 to TransLink next year.
For transit users, there will also be a fare increase of five to10 cents on a single fare and $1-3 on a monthly pass.
The fare and tax increases will take effect in July 2017.
Existing revenue sources — such as fares and gas tax revenues — and the sale of TransLink-owned property are other elements of the regional funding formula.
TransLink has also proposed a regional fee that would be applied to new development, to be introduced by 2020.
The fee structure and rate have not yet been set, and the fee will require provincial approval.
A number of mayors urged the province to commit to approving the fee as soon as possible because if it is not confirmed by early 2018, some projects may need to be deferred.
Now, the focus is on getting the federal and provincial governments on board to fund the next phase of the plan, which includes constructing the Broadway subway and Surrey-Langley light rail lines, and replacing the Pattullo Bridge.