SPEC News Release

SPEC welcomes transit plan

January 14, 2008
Livable Region Coalition Applauds Premier's Plan to Double Transit in Metro Vancouver

Success of new plan depends on a transit-first approach


For Immediate Release


January 14, 2008


Vancouver- The Livable Region Coalition applauds the Premier's plan to double transit service in the Lower Mainland by 2020. The plan would double the number of buses in the Lower Mainland and introduce new bus and rail rapid transit to the region. But ridership levels would only double by 2030.


“As a frustrated transit user I welcome the promises made in the Premier's transit plan. As an advocate for better transit, I have some concerns,” said David Fields, a campaigner with SPEC and Coordinator of the LRC. “ The doubling of transit in the Lower Mainland can be the foundation for a livable, green future for our region, but I have to ask, if freeway expansion happens first will it get people out of their cars?”


The Livable Region Coalition has campaigned for the last four years to convince the provincial government to double the transit in Metro Vancouver by immediately increasing the number of buses and frequency of service. The LRC has advocated for innovative new transit technologies like Bus Rapid Transit and a Frequent Transit Network to connect town centres across the region. The LRC supports fast tracking the Evergreen Line and the revitalization of the Interurban Rail Line. Funding for these innovations should come in large part from the reallocation of freeway expansion $billions to a transit first plan.


“An example of a transit first approach is the SkyTrain crossing the Fraser River. Presently running at 1/3 capacity, SkyTrain could take the pressure off the Port Mann Bridge with only the purchase of more passenger cars,” said Fields. “Bringing SkyTrain into Surrey up to capacity would be the equivalent of building a new 10 lane freeway. Whereas building the bridge first would reduce SkyTrain ridership by 5 percent, according to TransLink.”


“ With local citizens on the hook for about $3 billion of the cost of the transit expansion in Metro Vancouver there is real concern that fares will continue to increase which will only keep people in their cars,” said Eric Doherty, SPEC Director. “We need to lower fares, not increase them if we want to win the fight against global warming.”


Successful transit systems around the world have built ridership by making transit the easiest and most affordable option. Zurich, with one of the highest rates of ridership in Europe, took an innovative transit first approach by reallocating road space from cars to rapid transit and by cutting fares in half. Now three quarters of the population carries some form of prepaid transit pass.


“The Premier's plan to build freeways first will undermine his newly announced transit plan by taking riders away from transit. A successful transit system would undermine the toll revenues which are supposed to pay for a twinned Port Mann Bridge,” said Andrew Feltham, a concerned citizen with the LRC. “We can't afford a collision between two multi-billion dollar transportation plans. Now that the province is playing catch up on transit, a rethink of regional transportation plans, including Gateway, is essential.”


Further commentary and analysis will appear on the LRC blog (www.livableregion.ca) and on the Transit Lab site (www.transitlab.ca)


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For more information, please contact:


David Fields, LRC Coordinator, 604-722-4775 (cell)

Eric Doherty, SPEC Director, 604-877-1223