Everyone Benefits from Transportation Investments. Well, almost everyone.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of the headline as I sought out those devilish details in the long-range vision recently released by the Mayors' Council on Regional Transportation. While on the group's website I came across a section that breaks down the proposed investments by region, each area with a fact sheet detailing its portion of a breathtaking $7.5 billion in planned improvements.
Each of these fact sheets is adorned with that ironic headline - Everyone Benefits from Transportation Investments - yet when you look at the South of Fraser region it's certainly a stretch to suggest that sentiment applies to Delta.
The two big ticket items for communities south of the river - light rail lines for Surrey and Langley, and a replacement for the narrow and archaic Pattullo Bridge - aren't exactly in the neighbourhood, so commuters here are unlikely to derive much benefit.
I don't think many expected to see outof-the-way Delta featured prominently in the mayors' ambitious, yet-to-be-funded plan, but it's more than a little disappointing that we barely rate a mention, even when Greater Vancouver is broken down into six zones.
In a full page of transportation investments for South of the Fraser, I could only find three references to Delta: a new B-Line that would travel part of Scott Road before turning into Surrey, an increase in peak bus service on Highway 17 and an expansion, upgrade or reconfiguration of the South Delta Exchange. It's lucky we weren't expecting much because that's exactly what we're getting, presuming, of course, what's included in the vision actually comes to fruition.
We obviously can't lose sight of the fact there's a bridge planned to replace the antiquated George Massey Tunnel, a project that will do more to improve the daily commute in these parts than anything the mayors' council could have possibly dreamed up.
There's also the issue of Delta's limited growth, at least in comparison to other areas, and the premise that transportation services have to be targeted to where the population is most concentrated. Take a journey into Surrey and Langley and you'll quickly see why dollars are being earmarked there.
That explains the rationale for the mayors' plan, but given the fact we pay taxes and fees along with everyone else, it would be nice to be more than a token inclusion.
You know, so everyone benefits.
