B.C. Greens would match federal transport funding
Party also against bridge to replace Massey Tunnel
A Green provincial government would match federal funding for Metro Vancouver transit improvements and raise money for public transportation by instituting mobility pricing, according to the party’s transportation strategy, released Thursday.
“The B.C. Greens are not running to give you sound bites and take-home one-liners — we’re running on the platform of good public policy,” Green Leader Andrew Weaver said.
The Green party will support the TransLink Mayors’ Council’s 10-year plan for transit in Metro Vancouver by matching the $2.2-billion in capital funding over 11 years the federal government announced when it released its budget last month.
“It’s good public policy to match federal investment because we know that for every dollar spent we’re getting a dollar from the federal government that will feed into the B.C. economy,” Weaver said.
Mobility pricing would be a way to raise money for transportation upgrades and reduce congestion. The Greens have not promised to get rid of bridge tolls, instead saying they will implement a “rational” tolling system to amortize the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges and finance the region’s share of the mayors’ plan.
Weaver said carbon tax revenues would be used to upgrade transit and give people options, before mobility pricing is instituted.
They also said they will work with local governments to address funding for community and regional transportation infrastructure.
Outside of Metro Vancouver, the party would provide an additional $25 million per year to B.C. Transit to address service frequency and make fares more affordable.
The party would also suspend work on the planned bridge replacement for the George Massey Tunnel and review alternatives.
Weaver said a B.C. Green government would introduce ride for-hire legislation at the earliest possible opportunity. The Liberals have promised to introduce such legislation by December, while the NDP has said it will work with the existing taxi system.
The platform also calls for investment in clean transportation initiatives and technology and “demand-management strategies” to reduce driving and encourage modal switching, such as incentives for low- and zero-emission vehicles and distance-based insurance.
The Greens would also like to make B.C. Ferries a Crown corporation again and review the company’s operations.
The B.C. Liberal party and the B.C. NDP have already released their transportation platforms.
The Liberals have promised to match the $2.2-billion in federal funding for regional transit projects. They said they will negotiate with the feds and TransLink on project specifics. The Surrey lightrail and Broadway subway lines are the priorities for the Liberals.
The Liberals want to cap bridge tolls at $500 per year and build a bridge to replace the George Massey Tunnel between Delta and Richmond.
The NDP indicated it will provide 40 per cent of capital funding for each phase of the mayors’ plan. In addition, it will work with municipalities to develop “a new TransLink governance model,” which includes getting rid of the requirement to have a referendum when TransLink needs a new funding source, such as development cost charges or mobility pricing. The NDP wants to improve HandyDart, which provides shared, door-to-door transportation for people with disabilities.
The NDP’s plan doesn’t include replacing the Massey Tunnel — instead, NDP Leader John Horgan has talked about widening the tunnel — but it does call for eliminating bridge tolls.