From the Oh what a suprise Department
Look after south of Fraser before considering UBC
http://www.langleyadvance.com/news/says+TransLink+priorities+wrong/4646857/story.html
The Delta Optimist April 20, 2011
TransLink better get its priorities straight and look at improving services south of the Fraser River before looking for money to build a SkyTrain line to UBC.
Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington wasn’t impressed to hear about the transportation authority’s latest plan exploring the possibility of rapid transit to the UBC, even though it still doesn’t have the money to pay for the Evergreen Line to Coquitlam.
Wrapping up its latest public consultation period this week, TransLink recently released several potential designs for expanded transit to the university, ranging from more buses to rapid transit. The most expensive would be rapid transit at $3.2 billion, but would have the capacity to carry the greatest number of passengers.
“As far as TransLink building out to UBC, TransLink and the province owe the Lower Mainland the Evergreen Line, that should come first, and then they should turn their attention to south of the Fraser,” Huntington told the Optimist.
“Our bus system is below standard. We’re being forced to pay for the Canada Line by shipping us all in there and taking away our own decent transportation systems, and they need to start looking at some kind of rapid transit out in the lower Fraser. None of this expensive stuff, but let’s get some light rail going,” she said.
Saying TransLink is failing to pay attention to where the growth is occurring in the region, Huntington is a supporter of the concept of light rail, which she believes should be a high priority project.
However, the Evergreen Line has to be dealt with once and for all, said the independent MLA.
“I can see why they look at UBC. You’ve got something like 80,000 people and you can see where they’d think it’s a cash cow and would help in the movement of people. But sorry folks, the Evergreen Line has been promised for years and it’s time they got on with it. Then look south of the Fraser. Put more buses to UBC if you have to,” Huntington said.
TransLink, meanwhile, is still looking for options to fund its $400-million share of the $1.4-billion Evergreen Line, linking Burnaby, Coquitlam and Port Moody. The regional mayors’ council on transportation rejected TransLink’s proposal to increase property taxes. They mayors are meeting with the province to discuss various alternatives, ranging from road tolls to vehicle levies.
Huntington said any attempt to impose tolls on existing roads and bridges would penalize residents living south of the Fraser and would be met by an overwhelmingly angry response.
Earlier this year, Delta council talked about a scenario in which communities south of the Fraser split from TransLink to form their own transit authority.
That suggestion came up during council’s discussion on TransLink’s funding proposals, which drew the ire of local politicians and bureaucrats.
who complained they provide nothing for the community, other than taking even more money out of taxpayers’ pockets.
“This isn’t a plan, it’s a way to finance major construction projects, and bear in mind there’s no improvements for south of the Fraser,” CAO George Harvie told council.
“There is no hope on the horizon for TransLink to improve our bus service and it’s very sad.”
According to Delta staff, TransLink introduced a couple of different transit expansion plans that would provide little, if any, benefit for local transit users, but hit taxpayers’ nonetheless. One plan would see the average local property tax bill increase by $36 per year, while another more deluxe plan would see Delta property taxes go up by $62.
