Residents can expect a bump up on the TransLink portion of their property tax bills, but the mayor warns people should be keeping a close eye on a more penalizing charge that could be on its way.
Lois Jackson wasn’t surprised at last week’s announcement by the Mayors’ Council and the provincial government that they have agreed on a plan to fund the $70-million regional share for Phase 2 of TransLink’s 10-Year Vision.
Various new charges will be implemented beginning in 2019, including a transit fare hike, an increase to the parking tax, a fee on new housing and a jump in property taxes that would work out to $5.50 on the average home.
Saying the plan provides very little as far as improved service for Delta, Jackson noted residents should be keeping a close watch, and make sure they make their feelings known, on potential distance-based charges being considered by the Mobility Pricing Independent Commission. Options being considered include some form of “distance pricing” that would charge drivers an amount per kilometre driven within the Lower Mainland.
“Everyone understands that when you are paying a toll, you’re paying for that bridge. Now you could be paying by the mile, which people should start thinking about and answering some of these surveys. It could be a charge per kilometre and my concern is those who will have to pay, those from Langley or Delta or South Surrey, or places like Maple Ridge, don’t have an option. We don’t have the services here like other people have. We’ll have to pay this penalty per mile, possibly, even though we don’t have any service and it’s certainly something people should be following,” the mayor said.
As far what could be happening with the suspended George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project, Jackson, noting the tunnel isn’t a TransLink responsibility and the mayors have never wanted to discuss how to improve the Highway 99 corridor, has her doubts anything will happen now that the province has committed to replacing the Pattullo Bridge, which had been within TransLink’s purview.
“The new wrinkle, of course, is that the provincial government has taken over the Pattullo Bridge and all its construction. What I have said is we now have a situation where the Pattullo Bridge and the replacement for the George Massey are on the same plane but how are all these projects going to be paid for? The cupboard is bare here,” she added.
Jackson was also concerned by Transportation Minister Claire Trevena’s comment last week that “the dust needs to settle” on other transit projects.
“That’s very troubling. We don’t even have the report (independent review) that is apparently due this spring. I will be certainly pressing to find out what the outcome was of the engineer’s analysis, but we could be waiting a very, very long time to have a serious consideration of the replacement, given that they are going to be moving in the direction they’ve chosen.”
Ian Paton, Delta South MLA and city councillor, said Delta and South Surrey have once again been completely ignored by the Mayors’ Council and province.
“They don’t seem to care one bit about the population growth and density we have in our area, not to mention we have a port, a U.S. border crossing, Tilbury Industrial Park and B.C. Ferries. Apparently, getting people down Broadway to UBC is far more important than replacing George Massey Tunnel,” said Paton.
