Todd Stone, the BC Liberal Minister of Transportation, is running for leader. Has he developed any policy, with specifics, that would indicate a real understanding of Metro’s transportation needs? Only generalities:
- Develop bold, visionary transportation plans to meet BC’s needs now and into the future.
- Expand rapid transit networks and transit service in Metro Vancouver and across BC.
However, he specifically promises this:
- … working with local governments to immediately begin work on a replacement for the George Massey Tunnel suitable for commuters and local communities.
And this:
- I would begin a conversation with Metro Vancouver residents and local governments about the potential to consolidate all transportation assets – roads, highways, bridges, tunnels – under one Regional Major Roads Authority to make transportation decisions.
So: another authority in competition with TransLink with a mandate to consolidate “all transportation assets” – which means only roads, highways, tunnels and bridges.
Transit, apparently, is not a transportation asset. That says so much.
I think the missing words are “owned by the MoTI”.
It would be presumptuous – and would attract much ire and criticism – if he were to unilaterally purport to establish an entity to own or regulate assets owned by Translink (or BC Transit).
Author
So what’s the intent, do you think? Create a provincially run superagency that could take municipal and regional control of the road system away, and be able to overrule Metro and municipalities in favour of provincial priorities? (Hey, we’ll take another run at that Chinatown Freeway. Forget about demolishing the viaducts.)
Or to download provincial ‘assets’ to the region, rather like the Pattullo Bridge.
In any event, if the ‘Major Roads Authority’ has superior powers, then transit once again is separated off as a ‘local’ service, less deserving of provincial dollars and attention.
Transit is very people intensive. Roads (plus tunnels or bridges) are not. Different cattle of fish.
For example, it makes no sense to toll one bridge (eg Port Mann) but not others (eg Lionsgate or Patullo).
Massey Tunnel widening is 20 years overdue.
He could easily include SkyTrain or subways into that “asset” mix. A new Massey Tunnel, for example, may include a train tunnel. Buses: not so much.
Operating 1000+ buses with unionized drivers & unionized Transit Police in 20+ cities in MetroVan is quite different than maintaining 1000 km of roadways, tunnels or bridges.
It therefore makes sense to separate them.
As to funding thereof, both can be flush with cash or starved. He stated noting to that end.
When Todd Stone was flogging the Ten Myths piece of propaganda that, in part, justified a Mexico City-scale new freeway as a way to fight climate change, it was painfully apparent that he was fundamentally unqualified to be the Minister of Transportation. Further, he was one of several ministers in Christy Clark’s government who acted with arrogance and disdain toward Metro Vancouver and its mayors despite the tiny little fact that the Metro contains half the provincial population and generates half the wealth, and with the disparity of only a 10% return on the tax revenue generated in the Metro to the province’s 40%.
Look where that got them.
We already have a regional authorities in the form of TransLink and Metro Vancouver. We have a great Livable Region Strategy but Metro Vancouver does not have the power to implement it. Municipalities do their thing in terms of land use, TransLink does their thing in terms of transit and some road and cycling stuff. MOTI does their thing in terms of highways and some bridges. Wouldn’t it be best if Metro Vancouver had more powers in terms of land use planning, transit,cycling and highways so that the Livable Region Strategy has a good chance of being implemented? What if Metro Vancouver became a city state with broader taxation powers?