Tories promise funding for Surrey light rail

It seems the Conservative Party has its sights set on Surrey voters. If they are elected on October 19th, Harper’s Tories have pledged to put $700 million toward Surrey’s $2.1-billion light rail project and have given this project higher priority than a subway along Broadway in Vancouver. The Conservatives’ funding for the project would derive from the new Public Transit Fund, which aids cities proposing transit projects costing more than $1 billion.

The Tories’ declaration comes on the heels of comparable promises by the Liberals and NDP. The Liberals promised $20 billion in infrastructure funding over the next 10 years, which would be funnelled toward projects like the Surrey light rail and Vancouver subway proposals. Meanwhile, the NDP has committed to increasing Gas Tax Fund transfers to municipalities, as well as to implementing a detailed transit plan at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

With its rapid influx of new homeowners who would benefit from better transit infrastructure, Surrey is an important battleground as the election approaches, whereas the federal Conservatives and the B.C. Liberals are not terribly popular with Vancouver voters.

The two cities have been competing for their respective transit projects. Vancouver’s $2.4-billion subway line would run along Broadway to Arbutus, and Surrey’s 10.9-kilometre light rail line would link Guildford Town Centre, Surrey City Centre and Newton Town Centre in an L-shape. Another 17.1-kilometre line would join Surrey City Centre and Langley Centre.

Each of these projects requires funding to be split three ways between TransLink, the provincial government and the federal government. The $700 million that the Conservatives have committed to the Surrey project if they are reelected would cover the amount needed from the federal government. The provincial government has also agreed to its third of the funding, but TransLink has not arrived at its own source of funding, since the idea of a 0.5 per cent sales tax increase was rejected in the transit plebiscite.

James Moore, the B.C. regional minister, was quick to reassure voters in the City of Vancouver that this declaration does not preclude the federal government investing in the Broadway subway. Instead, he indicated that Surrey’s light rail project was given priority because it is ahead of the Broadway line in its planning and it also has more provincial support.

Metro Vancouver seems to disagree with this assessment, indicating that both projects are in the design-planning phase. Last year, Metro’s mayors decided together that the two projects should move forward at the same time, because it is necessary not only to give structure to Surrey’s growth, but also to meet the present high demand for public transit in Vancouver.

Also making a case for the Surrey light rail, is Metro Vancouver chairman and Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore, who indicated that approximately 50 per cent of those who use Broadway’s B-Line come from municipalities outside of Vancouver, whereas the bulk of newcomers to the region will live south of the Fraser.

Vancouver Councillor Geoff Meggs, on the other hand, argued that Vancouver’s plans for a subway along Broadway date back 10 years and that the line is mapped out, ridership numbers have been calculated and geotechnical work has been done. Given that neither project yet has a business plan, it may yet be premature for funds to be devoted to either.