Metro Vancouver mayors are asking federal politicians for a commitment to address growing traffic congestion problems in the lead-up to the 2019 election.
With another million commuters expected to be sharing Metro Vancouver's roads in the coming decades, the Mayors' Council on Regional Transportation said "permanent, sustained federal funding" is needed so TransLink can make long-term plans to deal with the crowding.
The council is asking all major national parties to commit to a Congestion Relief Fund that would deliver about $375 million to TransLink annually beginning in the year 2028.
New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Cote said they want to see that kind of reliable funding become the standard outside of B.C. as well.
"Transportation is a critically important issue … in every major urban centre across the country," Cote told reporters Tuesday. "What we are calling for is stable, secure funding on an annual basis to all urban municipalities."
Despite the increases in bus and SkyTrain service under TransLink's 10-year plan, the mayors said new ridership is outpacing service expansions. Last fall, 52 bus routes had sustained overcrowding for one hour or more, up from 38 routes in fall 2016.
Sustaining the current trend in federal transit infrastructure investment would require an annual fund of $3.4 billion, the council said.
