$500 million in provincial, federal funding needed to sustain Metro Vancouver's transit system, mayors say
Metro Vancouver’s mayors are asking for a bailout from the federal government to save the region's struggling transit network.
At a news conference Tuesday, representatives from the Mayors' Council on Regional Transportation and the transit authority called on Ottawa for $250 million in emergency relief, an amount that they will also be asking the province to match.
According to the Mayors' Council and TransLink, the current funding model, which relies on fares and property taxes, is inadequate. The infusion of an additional half a billion dollars is needed, they say, to offset the ongoing financial fallout from the pandemic, to sustain the current system, and to finance plans for much-needed expansion.
“Our region is growing faster than ever. And as long as we are stuck in survival mode, our transit system will not be able to keep pace with the main and the essential service it provides,” said Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West, the chair of the mayors' council.
"This is a critical point to invest in Metro Vancouver’s long-term infrastructure needs and the Mayors’ Council is determined to make sure this message is being heard in Ottawa,” he continued.
Ridership has rebounded to 82 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, according to TransLink, which says the system is on the verge of being overwhelmed in the region's fastest-growing communities. The region's population is projected to grow by more than a million people by 2050, according to a news release from the Mayors' Council.
The council has also endorsed an ambitious 10-year plan for the region, including a doubling of bus service, the introduction of nine new bus rapid transit lines, and the expansion of SkyTrain service south of the Fraser. Projects like a gondola on Burnaby Mountain and the expansion of the Millennium Line to UBC are also on the table
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case
The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal.