According to recent news reports, the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation has asked chair Dianne Watts to press transportation minister Kevin Falcon over the transit authorities need for more funding from senior governments as they can no longer go back to residents for increased funding via levies or increased taxes.
One potential source of funding at the federal level is the new Building Canada fund, which is billed as a 7-year plan providing stable, flexible and predictable funding to Canadian municipalities to support a stronger economy, cleaner environment and better communities.
Public transit is a key element of this plan, which states:
Public transit is a key part of urban transportation infrastructure. Sound investments in public transit can improve mobility and help get people out of their cars, which reduces traffic congestion, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollution.
[Building Canada - Public Transit]
The governments of Canada and BC signed the Canada-British Columbia Framework Agreement on November 6, 2007 worth $2.2 billion under Building Canada.
However, a look at the list of BC priorities for funding shows that the priorities lie primarily in highway improvement. The 4 priorities include:
- Improvements to Highway 97 near Prince George and the relocation of the commercial vehicle inspection station near Red Rock Road south of Prince George. [news release]
- Improvements to the Trans-Canada Highway through Kicking Horse Canyon include the construction of approximately 12 kilometres of twinned highway. [news release]
- Upgrading a 7 kilometre section of Highway 97 between Bentley Road and Okanagan Lake Park to four lanes. [news release]
- Flood mitigation initiatives to help communities address existing flood concerns and take proactive steps toward preventing flooding emergencies. [news release]
You’d think that was the case, and I don’t know how accurate this information is, but according to the Liberals, none of this so-called “promised” money from the feds has been passed onto municipalities, at least through this particular government funding program.
http://www.liberal.ca/story_14134_e.aspx
And none of them contributes to “help get people out of their cars, which reduces traffic congestion, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollution.”