Vancouver's transit experiment - A heated debate

A heated debate

With the region's mayors struggling to keep their plebiscite from falling off the rails, Vancouver's transit vote could either become a model for funding massive infrastructure projects in Canadian cities or serve as an example of what not to do. Frances Bula reports

Mayors in the Vancouver area are asking residents to approve a sales-tax increase to pay for transit infrastructure. Here are some facts about the plebiscite and the mayors’ plan:

The process:

Elections BC is holding a mail-in plebiscite. The first ballots were mailed out on March 16 and they must be in Elections BC’s hands by 8 p.m. on Friday, May 29. Anyone who does not have a ballot by now is out of luck – the deadline to request one was May 15. Technically, the vote is non-binding but the B.C. government asked for the referendum and has said it will abide by the results.

The question:

The ballot summarizes the plan and then asks a simple yes-or-no question: “Do you support a one-half-percentage-point (0.5-per-cent) increase to the Provincial Sales Tax in Metro Vancouver, dedicated to the Mayors’ Transportation and Transit Plan, with independent audits and public reporting?”

The plan:

The mayors are proposing $7.5-billion of transit and road improvements over 10 years. Highlights include:

– A subway line along Vancouver’s east-west Broadway corridor.

– New light-rail transit lines in Surrey and Langley.

– An additional 400 buses for the region’s fleet – an increase of about 25 per cent – as well as 11 new B-line rapid bus routes.

– More frequent bus and seabus service all day, especially at peak times.

– A replacement for the Pattullo Bridge that spans the Fraser River between New Westminster and Surrey.

– An additional 2,700 kilometres of bikeways, including 300 kilometres separated from vehicle traffic.

The Yes side:

The mayors themselves have been the main cheerleaders of the plan. which they’ve been promoting with a budget of at least $6-million from the Translink mayors’ council and contributions from various municipalities.

The No side:

Opposition to the proposed tax has been led by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s Jordan Bateman, who says he’s been operating with a budget of about $40,000. He’s had support from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Three mayors voted against the proposed tax: West Vancouver’s Michael Smith, Maple Ridge’s Nicole Read and Burnaby’s Derek Corrigan.