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Carole James says NDP will keep Evergreen Line on track
Carole James says NDP will keep Evergreen Line on track
By Damian Inwood, Canwest News Service April 17, 2009
B.C. NDP leader Carole James speaks to onlookers, flanked by MLA and candidate for Port Coquitlam-Burke Mountain Mike Farnworth (left) and Port Moody-Coquitlam candidate Shannon Watkins (right) at Burquitlam Plaza on the Burnaby/Coquitlam/Port Moody border on April 17.
NDP leader Carole James is promising to get the $1.4-billion Evergreen Line back on track if her party wins next month's election.
She said an NDP government would totally fund the project rather than seeking a private partner, as Premier Gordon Campbell is doing.
"We should be able to see the Evergreen transit line, it should be nearing completion and it should be going into full operation this year," said James, standing in a shopping mall parking lot on the border of Port Moody and Burquitlam, site of a proposed transit station. "For local mayors and councillors, the Evergreen Line was the highest transit priority in Metro Vancouver."
James said that while Campbell promised to respect local transportation decisions, he's broken promise after promise to build the Evergreen Line.
"Because of Gordon Campbell the Evergreen Line is five years behind schedule and $600-million over budget," added James. "In fact, the price tag has almost doubled from $800 million to $1.4 billion."
The original plan called for a light rail system and the current plan is for a more expensive SkyTrain system.
"Gordon Campbell now says the construction is going to start in 2010 but we don't expect that promise will be kept either," said James.
She said under the Liberal plan, there's a shortfall of $173 million, and Campbell is saying, "Don't worry, that amount will be picked up by a private partner."
But, due to the current economic climate, private funding is hard to come by, she said.
"The NDP will end the waiting and end the uncertainty," she said. "We're going to close the funding gap, we're going to build the Evergreen Line and we're going to build it as a public project.
"Unlike Gordon Campbell, we're not going to impose further delays waiting for a private partner who may never materialize in today's financial market."
She said the NDP has put $180 million in its platform budget to make up the shortfall.
Restaurant owner Fred Soofi said he was pleased at the announcement but said he hoped it was not just an empty election promise.
"We have been hearing this for many years" he said.
"They promise for the election and after the election they forget and just bring their different reasons why they haven't done it."
He said that traffic on Clarke Road is gridlocked in the evening rush hour and the new line would help ease it.
"We've been waiting around a long time for it, right," said Dawn Rein, manager of Codfather's fish-and-chip shop. "We hope it happens. We're looking forward to it giving a little kick to the community."
As well as bringing economic benefits, she said, she's worried that it may bring in undesirables and lead to more crime.
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GO CAROLE GO!!!!
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At least the gangsta wannabes.
You know what i mean, haha, PoMo
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