Mayor Kennedy Stewart renewed a request Tuesday by the region鈥檚 mayors to have the federal government agree to spend $375 million annually on a permanent Metro Vancouver-wide transit fund that would roll out in 2027.
Stewart was joined by Langley Mayor Jack Froese at a news conference at the Broadway Canada Line station to renew the request for a permanent fund that mayors pitched campaign.
The two mayors spoke to reporters in advance of their trip Tuesday to Ottawa, where they will meet Wednesday with their federal counterparts to outline the region鈥檚 case for a permanent fund and request another $910 million in new transit investments.
鈥淲e have the fastest growing transit ridership [in Canada] 鈥� an astonishing 20 per cent in the last three years,鈥� Stewart said.
鈥淣o other city can say that. We have a comprehensive regional plan that has support of 23 local governments and our provincial government. No other city can say that.鈥�
Froese said the mayors鈥� push for more transit funding is supported by 20 various groups, including environmental organizations, business groups and student associations.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 afford to slow down our transit expansion because ridership in the system is growing faster than we can keep up with,鈥� he said.
鈥淥ur message to the federal government is simple: the situation here, in Metro Vancouver, is urgent.鈥�
The mayors want the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to introduce legislation by next year to establish a permanent transit fund, with money to roll out in 2027.
Such a fund would give certainty to TransLink to 鈥渂ank鈥� on future revenues and commit to future proposals such as an extension of the SkyTrain from Arbutus Street to the University of B.C.
Froese noted the Trudeau government has signaled that it supports a permanent fund, although the mayor acknowledged the seven-year lag before such a fund would kick in.
That鈥檚 why the mayors announced Tuesday that they want $685 million in 鈥渢ransition funding鈥� by mid-2021 to help fund the third phase of the mayors鈥� regional transit plan.
That plan includes extending SkyTrain from Fleetwood in Surrey to Langley and a proposed gondola connecting rapid transit to the Simon Fraser University campus on Burnaby Mountain.
Another $225 million is requested to accelerate the conversion of TransLink鈥檚 bus fleet to emissions-free battery electric technology starting in 2021.
Though a SkyTrain extension to UBC isn鈥檛 included in the third phase of the plan, Stewart said he will continue to lobby for the link when in Ottawa this week.
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e focusing on in this trip is the phase three funding,鈥� he said, noting part of that funding would go towards creating a business case for a SkyTrain extension to UBC.
鈥淏ut you can believe it, I will be pushing for the UBC SkyTrain while I鈥檓 there.鈥�
The estimated cost of the extension to UBC is $4 billion, although a route and station locations, along with rising construction costs, could increase the final tab.
The provincial and federal governments have not committed to the extension, but previously agreed to fund the 5.7-kilometre portion of the Broadway subway from VCC-Clark Station to Arbutus Street.
That line is expected to be open in 2025.
Last week, Indigenous leaders from the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations joined UBC president Santa Ono and Stewart to call for a SkyTrain extension to the university.
@Howellings
