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TransLink’s Council of Mayors has submitted a formal request to the federal government to accelerate the launch of the permanent transit fund promised by the Liberal Party during the 2019 election.
This fund would be used to enable a predictable source of funding to help cover the costs of long-term transport expansion and improvement plans.
However, the fund was previously proposed to begin in 2028, when existing infrastructure funding programs expire, with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities estimating that such a program will allocate $ 34 billion across the country until 2037. It is estimated that the fund will provide $ 3.75 billion to TransLink over 10 years or $ 375 million annually.
Instead of waiting seven years, the Council of Mayors wants to see new federal funding begin earlier in the next four to five years to support COVID-19 recovery and meet the commitments of the new BC NDP majority provincial government for the already approved, pala – ready capital projects.
This includes the additional $ 1.6 billion needed to build the remainder of the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension between Fleetwood and Langley Center, a completion of the entire eight-station 16km project in one phase from King George station.
An additional $ 450 million would be allocated to the low-carbon fleet strategy of transitioning to battery-electric buses starting in 2023, $ 965 million for fleet and transit system refurbishment and upgrades, $ 550 million for the SkyTrain station and the updates of the bus circuit and 75 million dollars for the planning and studies project to support the Transport 2050 process for the creation of the new thirty-year transport plan for the region.
Federal funding will ensure that these capital projects can continue even with TransLink’s revenue shortages for the foreseeable future.
“Although the pandemic has reduced TransLink’s passenger numbers and revenue, this setback is temporary and we must continue to look to the future knowing that transit will remain a key component of our region’s economy and quality of life. A continuous and predictable long-term federal partnership is a key building block for our future path, ”wrote Jonathan Cote, President of the Council of Mayors and Mayor of New Westminster, in his letter to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and the Minister of Infrastructure Catherine McKenna.
“Our region has a track record in integrating land use and transport planning decisions, following a long-term integrated transport strategy at the regional level that maximizes its investments and drives traveler growth, and delivers projects on time and within budget “.
Last month, the federal government announced a $ 1.5 billion national fund over three years to support the acquisition of new battery-electric buses for public transit systems across the country. TransLink is expected to receive a share of this fund.
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