Quote:
Originally Posted by WarrenC12
The blame still lies with the Provincial Government for this. The initial Translink spinoff from BC Transit, and the subsequent re-formatting of the structure is all on them.
At the same time they are the ones promising more transit expansion...  |
The blame lies with both the provincial government (NDP and Liberal) and Translink. The NDP structured Translink in a way that it would be insufficiently funded for its massive mandate (roads AND transit) and the high expectations expected from the new agency. Translink realized this soon after it was created and tried to create the car levy, but as it required the provincial gov'ts approval the NDP canceled it due to public opposition.
...or maybe the NDP was assuming the provincial government would continue to pay for nearly the entire/majority cost of Translink's capital projects? The Millennium Line cost $1.1-billion, and $1-billion of that was from Victoria and the rest Translink. I am guessing the NDP were also expecting to do the same for the Millennium Line West and Coquitlam extensions.
With the new Liberal government, they of course axed the M-Line extensions and have decided that locals who most benefit from these projects should pay for bulk of the cost rather than the entire province. Calling the Canada Line funding scheme unique is an understatement. Translink will have to pay for InTransitBC's $750-million+ contribution over the next few decades, and when you include Translink's direct contribution the majority contributor to Canada Line funding is Translink at more than $1-billion. Translink also has to pay the private operator the operating costs (which appear to be substantially higher than SkyTrain) when you consider some maintenance and administrative costs could have overlapped with existing SkyTrain infrastructure maintenance costs...in other words, cost savings with an integrated system. And of course, the private operator is also assured what I think will be a substantial profit - money that could have otherwise gone back into Translink's coffers.
The Canada Line was also forced upon Translink by the provincial government. They had Evergreen LRT on the front burner initially, thank god it was canceled, and hadn't planned on funding such a large project in both the short and long-term. As well, during the Canada Line approval process there were also assurances made by Kevin Falcon that the Evergreen Line would be built as well - and would be completed at the same time as the Canada Line.
Today, the new Translink is the Liberal party's own creation (or to be more specific, Kevin Falcon's). The issue of not providing Translink enough funding resources is aggravated even more. And the whole new rule of fares, property taxes, and gas taxes all required to be increased altogether and not independently is beyond retarded...fares are simply too high as is. And fares, property taxes, and gas taxes are all that Translink is able to work with. The real estate division is a dream at this point, and the province is distancing itself as far as it can from necessary funding ideas like the car levy and regional toll. And yet, the province is still saying that Translink has sufficient funding resources.
The whole "study" to trim Translink's fat is laughable. They'll find millions to cut, but not the hundreds and hundreds of millions they need. The provincial government is making it look like that all Translink has to do is trim its fat and it'll find all the money it needs.
That's 10 years of regional transit history right there.
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