It’s a relief the TransLink Mayors’ Council has come up with a plan to pay for Phase 2 of its transit plan that will include upgrades to the Millennium and Expo SkyTrain lines and keep construction of light rail to Surrey and the Broadway line on schedule.
Although we will pay a bit more in transit fares, property taxes and parking fees, the newest charge is the $300- to $600-per-unit development cost charge on new residential development.
But there is no vehicle levy or increased carbon tax — fees that had been considered and dropped; also not on the horizon is any sales tax hike, which was roundly defeated in a referendum.
A hike in fuel taxes was also left off the list, thankfully, because we already pay a lot for gas.
Certainly, these increases will be somewhat painful but they are fairly conventional and ensure developers that benefit from proximity to transit lines will also contribute.
Metro Vancouver mayors had to bring some money to the table and these increases shared by all — just as we have all paid, for decades, to subsidize the roads we drive on — will help fund transit that is necessary to deal with growth.
