Mayors' Council chair slams feds over lack of transit funding in budget
The chair of the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation is criticizing the federal government over the lack of funding for Metro Vancouver transit in this week’s federal budget.
“Just yesterday, the federal government delivered their budget, with no new support for our region’s needs,” Mayors’ Council chair and Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West said during a provincial transit funding announcement on Wednesday. “It is not good enough. A hell of a lot of money leaves the Metro Vancouver region and goes to Ottawa. We need some of that money returned here (to) be reinvested in services for our residents.”
West was speaking at a news conference in which the province revealed $300-million in new funding aimed at increasing bus and SeaBus service in Metro Vancouver.
B.C. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming echoed some of West’s frustration, although he tried to strike a more diplomatic tone.
“I do want to thank the federal government for the times that they were there during the pandemic,” Fleming said Wednesday. “They did advance some money that was very important to TransLink, for sustaining it, to make sure that employees of this company who operate transit, who work hard every day on this magnificent transit system weren’t furloughed, weren’t laid off.
“We didn’t cut routes and services, they were there for that," Fleming added. "The criticism I share with Mayor West is, they need to be there for the recovery too. We expected them to be here on a day like today. We expected the permanent transit fund to be more flexible, and it’s going to be increased, from our perspective, given our investment plans.”
The money will largely go toward 185 new buses, according to TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn. It will also mean buses will come more or extended hours on 60 routes – and more even and late night availability for HandyDART service.
CTV News has requested comment from the federal government on this story.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Blaine Higgs 'furious' over sexual education presentation
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Man throws flaming liquid on New York City subway, burns fellow rider
A man set a cup of liquid on fire and tossed it at fellow subway rider in New York City, setting the victim's shirt ablaze and injuring him.
At least 9 dead in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after severe weather roars across region
Powerful storms killed at least nine people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where drivers took shelter during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.
As Canada warms, infectious disease risks spread north
Cases of Lyme disease have now increased more than 1,000 per cent in a decade as the warming climate pushes the boundaries of a range of pathogens and risk factors northward.
12 people injured after Qatar Airways plane hits turbulence on way to Dublin
Twelve people were injured when a Qatar Airways plane flying from Doha to Dublin on Sunday hit turbulence, airport authorities said.