BURNABY (NEWS1130) - It's going to cost you more to fill up your car, but you'll eventually get to ride the
Evergreen Line.
Metro Vancouver mayors have voted for a new funding plan to pay for the long-awaited transit route as well as other bus and road improvements.
Mayors approved the two-cents per litre gas tax hike, set to come in
April 2012, as well as a $23 property tax hike for 2013 if they can't
find another additional funding source before then.
Langley City Mayor
Peter Fassbender, who voted in favour, says the plan isn't perfect but it is a good first step.
"For the first time in a number of years we see dedicated increase[s] in hours, the rapid buses on Highway 1 when it opens, and improvements to the major road network," he says.
The vote was 81-34, weighted by population. The gas tax itself is projected to bring in about $40 million, but they still need to find another $30 million.
Surrey, Vancouver, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Langley City and the three North Shore communities were among 16 cities that voted yes.
Six cities - Burnaby, Richmond, Delta, New Westminster, Langley Township and Pitt Meadows - voted no.
Outgoing Port Moody Mayor
Joe Trasolini, whose community has waited decades for rapid transit, says it's nice to leave on a high note.
"I think that something like this gives you a sense of accomplishment - not necessarily for me, this is not about me," he says. " But this is about the commuters of the Northeast sector and I see, finally, a sense of accomplishment for them," he says.
Mayors are facing civic elections in November, but Vancouver mayor
Gregor Robertson says the gas tax hike has a wider benefit.
"What's good for the region is good for Vancouver," he says. "The Evergreen Line will help take cars off the road that are coming into Vancouver right now."
"There's a lot more bus service right throughout the region, including Vancouver, and we're seeing a lot of pass-ups right now. A lot of people are choosing to take transit and the service is not as good as it needs to be, so this is a necessary investment."
Delta Mayor
Lois Jackson voted against the plan, saying she's worried about
TransLink's debt.
"These continued increases to the gas tax, to the property tax, [are] not sustainable, full stop," she says.
Burnaby's
Derek Corrigan is also concerned about TransLink's structure after the province re-jigged the transit body and put in an appointed board.
"We've seen exponential growth, both in their debt and in their operating budget and this beast just will not be satisfied," says Corrigan. "It needs more and more and more money."
North Vancouver District Mayor
Richard Walton voted yes but says there is much more work to do with the province to address how transit decisions are made.
"Now we need to talk about the governance issues and we need to talk about the long-term funding, and let's face it, who wants to pay more taxes?" he asks.
Evergreen Line still has no definitive timeline
Transportation Minister
Blair Lekstrom says he can't give a concrete date on when construction will begin.
In the past we've heard 2013, then 2014, but those weren't mentioned today.
Lekstrom is expecting a quick discussion, though, when legislation heads to Victoria in the coming weeks.
"As soon as we have concluded that, I would like to get the requests for proposals out as quickly as we can and I would like to see shovels in the ground very quickly," he says.
Both his government and the opposition agree TransLink's supplemental plan is needed for the new SkyTrain line.
Port Moody-Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam MP and Heritage Minister
James Moore says whenever he comes home to his riding, people ask him when the Evergreen Line is going to be built.
"I went to Starbucks this morning and I had five people come up to me in a bit of a scrum, in the middle of a Starbucks, saying 'what's going on with the Evergreen Line?'" he tells News1130.
"This is a vote that is of great interest to the people of the Tri-Cities."
The feds are putting up more than $400 million for the project.
NDP: Translink has to be revamped
The NDP's transportation critic says it's time to have another look at how TransLink is run. Harry Bains is not the only one raising concerns, after mayors voted in favour of an increase in the gas taxes.
He says the very mayors who are forced to find funding for TransLink projects, should have greater powers in determining what those projects are.
"They want to have more say at the strategic planning stage, and they're not there. All they're currently asked to do is say 'yes' or 'no' to a plan that someone else has come up with, then they're asked to fund it."
It's a sentiment shared by many mayors, who voted against the gas tax increase.
A second priority for the NDP would be to funnel carbon tax revenues into transportation projects. And Bains says rolling back corporate tax breaks would also reduce the burden on mayors.