TransLink mayors council warns of major service cuts if funding isn’t found by 2024 – BC | 24CA News
The TransLink Mayors Council stated it’s feeling not noted of wanted funding after the discharge of B.C.’s provincial finances final week.
While there was some cash budgeted for the Broadway Subway Project, the council stated it hoped for extra funding for TransLinks’ 10-year plan, which has a price ticket of round $20 billion.
The plan consists of doubling buses by 2035, the extension of the millennium line to UBC, fast transit to the north shore, and the gondola to SFU.
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TransLink Mayors’ Council pushes for renewed federal funding to maintain up with progress
“We’re planning to go to Ottawa to send a delegation of mayors and we’re looking forward to that,” stated Brad West, TransLink Mayors Council Chair and Port Coquitlam mayor.
“We also know the federal government is going to be announcing its budget soon, so we will be paying very close attention to that.”
The mayors council stated if there’s no additional funding on the desk within the subsequent two years, TransLink can be pressured to make main cuts in transportation providers.
“Fares are down, and gas tax revenue is down because we have more and more people transitioning to electric vehicles,” West stated.
“Those three things in conjunction are creating a real fiscal challenge for the transit agency.”
The mayors council made a formal request final month to the federal authorities to offer $250 million in extra emergency funds to be matched by the B.C. authorities.
So far, there’s been solely silence from Ottawa, the council stated.
“Transit is also facing inflationary pressure, just like everyone else,” stated West.
Council stated there’s strain to deal with the 10-year listing of tasks quickly, because the area’s inhabitants is predicted to develop by multiple million individuals by 2050, in line with the report completed by Metro Vancouver.
“Looking ahead to population growth, we are calling on the government to speed up the delivery of the permanent transit fund by two years to 2024. This will ensure that we don’t have to delay projects in the 10-year priority plan,” West stated.
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