If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. At least that appears to be the motto of the provincial government as it takes yet another stab at fixing its relationship with TransLink.
This time, Victoria will attempt to empower the Metro mayors' council that it previously emasculated in the last reform under then transportation minister Kevin Falcon.
Excuse us if we aren't convinced that this sop to get the mayors to back Christy Clark's election promise for a referendum on transportation funding will do anything to change the dysfunctional relationship between regional mayors and the province.
At first glance, the latest change looks like a good deal. If approved, the legislation would make the mayors' council responsible for approving long-term strategies and investment plans, and figuring out how to pay for them, instead of merely rubber-stamping the work done by a professional board. The mayors would also take over the budget and staff of the former TransLink commissioner, with the power to approve fare increases and sell assets.
But then there is also this: The mayors get to be in the hot seat for TransLink complaints and customer satisfaction - previously the job of the impartial commissioner.
For this hand-over of responsibilities, the mayors would get the plum of saying when and what the referendum question will be with the caveat that they have to meet the province's deadline of June, 2015.
All of this ignores the fact of where the real power lies - in the hands of the provincial government, which pays lip service to regional decision-making, putting TransLink up as a straw man and then toppling it when it chooses to.
For example, if the province wants SkyTrain technology, that's what residents will get. If Victoria wants the Massey Tunnel replaced, that's where the money will go.
The province gets the photo ops on the big infrastructure while the mayors get to fiddle with the small stuff on the margin that no one wants to pay for.
If this is the province's best offer, we'd hate to see what the worst offer would be.
