By Andrew Mitchell
In a move that’s been met with both praise and scorn, the provincial government effectively scrapped TransLink last week, firing board members of the former Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority.
In its place, the province has announced the creation of a new TransLink that will be comprised of mayors from the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley and Sea to Sky and unelected appointees, but with the Ministry of Transportation firmly in charge.
The new TransLink will also cover a greater area, possibly as far north as Pemberton and as far to the east as Hope.
According to Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon, the changes support the findings of the three-member TransLink Review Panel, which were released last week.
“Our goal is to ensure that TransLink has the governance structure and resources needed to move forward,” said Falcon. “The proper planning and delivery of the region’s transit projects is vital to an effective transportation system that will help us meet our collective goals of a competitive economy and a cleaner environment for all British Columbians.
“The panel members found that the current TransLink model is no longer effective as it stands.”
What effect the TransLink changes will have on Sea to Sky municipalities is largely unknown at this point, including whether or not Whistler and Pemberton will be co-opted into TransLink.
According to the 52-page TransLink Governance Review, which the province is in the process of moving forward, Squamish, Abbotsford and Mission would be included in the expanded transportation region, subject to the completion of transitional arrangements.
The second phase of the expansion would go as far east as Hope and as far north as Pemberton — the exact timing of which would be the decision of the TransLink Board, after negotiations with municipalities.
According to Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed, Whistler would consider joining TransLink if it furthered the RMOW’s goals for the service.
“One thing that is a major concern is that Whistler is fairly anomalous in the province for a couple of reasons. For one, we have higher ridership per hour than any other jurisdiction in the province, more than Vancouver and Victoria combined, with more riders per bus per hour… and the fact is we also have one of the lowest fare box rates in B.C., which is a decision of council to complete on our affordability promises in Whistler 2020.”
Melamed says he would be wary of any commitment to TransLink that would impact ridership or increase fare box rates to match rates in Vancouver and Victoria, which are up to 70 cents higher.
Under the proposed new formula for funding TransLink, additional money is expected to come from a balanced mix of increased fuel taxes, farebox increases, and property taxes.
Additional fuel taxes have already been proposed for Whistler, Pemberton and Squamish as a means to pay for regional transportation service between the communities.
Melamed is also concerned that Whistler’s voice would be lost in TransLink. “It would be important for Whistler to have a voice at TransLink, but our voice would be almost lost in the forest… because of all the population and density pressures in the Lower Mainland,” he said. “I don’t know how the governance model would address that.”
If Whistler’s concerns are addressed, Melamed believes there is opportunity for the region to benefit from new efficiencies in TransLink, as well for any increase in funding to B.C. Transit.
“Whistler’s intention is to continue to improve transit and to discourage single occupancy vehicle trips on the highway as much as possible. That’s not here, it’s regionally as all the regional mayors and district representatives are very supportive of transit. I hope the new TransLink initiative will facilitate achieving those goals.”
Brian Barnett, public works general manager for the RMOW, says that during the Christmas season, average ridership per bus, per hour was more than 78 riders — more than Vancouver and Victoria combined. Whistler transit also has the highest cost recovery of any public transit service in the country.
Regional transit services connecting Whistler to Squamish and Pemberton have also been successful, with higher ridership than in the Lower Mainland.
Barnett believes it will be at least a year before Whistler could join TransLink. However, he says the RMOW has all the pieces in place with other regional governments to move transit forward.
“We already have an excellent transit system in Whistler, and we would like to expand that to a corridor regional transit service,” he said. “There’s a chance that could be enhanced through the realignment (with TransLink), but opportunities exist in the current system, and we will continue to work with B.C. Transit to expand the system as well.”
Also, neither TransLink nor the creation of a Sea to Sky transit authority is required to increase taxes on gasoline to fund regional transit, says Barnett, as the RMOW and other municipalities already have that capacity.
Prior to the reorganization, TransLink has been accused of falling short of the goals that were set for transit, including the expansion of the rapid transit rail lines, and increased ridership on an expanded fleet of buses and trains.
As well, TransLink was accused of being dysfunctional after board members twice voted against the Canada Line project which will connect the City of Richmond and Vancouver International Airport to downtown Vancouver by rail — a project identified by the provincial government as a priority with the coming 2010 Olympic Winter Games. TransLink members also opposed initiatives such as the province’s proposed Gateway Project expansion that would build more highways in the Greater Vancouver region, and twin the Port Mann bridge.
On top of that is the raft of financial concerns about TransLink. With the current range of projects planned, TransLink is projected to run a $200 million annual deficit by 2009 unless additional funding is found.
Government is calling for the creation of a 10-year outlook plan for public transit. In the meantime, the province is proposing all TransLink expansions be funded by fare increases, gasoline tax increases, and further increases in property taxes, provided they are balanced with the other increases.
As well, the B.C. government unfroze B.C. Transit spending for the first time in six years in February, announcing $2 million in additional funding this year and next.
As for the deficit issue, mayors from Canada’s major cities are lobbying for $3 billion annually from the federal government to ease population and transit pressures.
Critics of the plan suggest that the B.C. governement’s approach is undemocratic, freezes out municipal voices from transportation decision, and is a return to the top-down governance model that was rejected in 1999 when TransLink was created.
As for the accusations that TransLink was ineffective, they blamed the province for freezing transit funding during a period of aggressive expansion in the Lower Mainland, while pushing projects like the Canada Line and Gateway Project.
