Metro Vancouver mayors have overwhelmingly approved a $7.5-billion transit plan for the region, but the funding for the ambitious projects have yet to be secured.

The 30-year “vision” includes a four-lane tolled Pattullo Bridge, light rail system that connects Surrey and Langley and an underground rapid transit line along the Broadway corridor to Arbutus Street.

Of the Metro Vancouver Mayors’ Council, which represents 21 municipalities, Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan cast the sole “no” vote against the plan.

The council wants the plan to be paid for through region-wide tolls and something it’s calling mobility pricing – a plan to charge motorists based on how far they drive.

The group says $250-million in funding should be paid for by the B.C. carbon tax.

Here’s a breakdown of what the plan is calling for:

  • Light rail line in Surrey
  • Tolled four-lane Pattullo Bridge between Surrey and New Westminter
  • A rail-based public transport line along the Broadway corridor from the Commercial SkyTrain station to Arbutus
  • 11 new B-Line routes, providing 200 kilometers of extra bus service
  • Increasing SeaBus service by 50 per cent. Service would run every 10 minutes during peak time and every 15 minutes for the rest of the day
  • A 30 per cent increase in HandyDart service
  • Fleet expansion and system upgrades for West Coast Express, Canada Line, Expo Line and Millennium Line
  • A 25 per cent increase in bus service
  • An additional 400 buses, to increase fleet to 1,830 buses
  • Upgrading 2,300 kilometres of major road networks
  • Investing in cycling routes

The plan must still be approved by the province.

North Vancouver Mayor Richard Walton said the region will grow by a million people over the next three decades so it’s crucial to invest in the transportation system.

“The delivery of this vision is a big step toward solving the problem of congestion. With this strategy we will see 70 per cent of the region’s population living within a short walk of frequent transit service and a full quarter of the population living with walking distance of rapid transit,” the board chair said in a statement issued after the decision.

The vision documents is available online.

With files from The Canadian Press