Federal cash to kickstart TransLink build-out, but no help for ‘fiscal cliff’

The federal government has announced a tranche of funding that could help pay for some of the transit expansions envisioned in TransLink’s ambitious 10-year vision.

But the $1.5 billion in capital funding over 10 years, part of the permanent Public Transit Fund, could hinge on the outcome of a federal election expected to kick off by Sunday — and even then, won’t help TransLink with a huge and looming operating deficit.

The money would come under a Metro-Region Agreement, capital funding contingent on long-term integrated planning for big urban areas, including things like building housing near transit hubs.

4:32 Transportation planner on addressing TransLink’s funding gap

“This funding enables new dedicated bus lines, transit expansion and supports maintenance,” said Federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Johnathan Wilkinson, who is also the MP for North Vancouver.

“The funding will play a key role in supporting new capital projects in TransLink’s Access for Everyone plan, including the first three Bus Rapid Transit routes.”

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The Access for Everyone plan is TransLink’s $21-billion, 10-year proposal to build out transit in the region, including doubling transit service, building a gondola to SFU’s Burnaby Mountian campus, extending the Boadway Subway to UBC and launching Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) — rapid bus lines with dedicated lanes, stop light priority and specialized stations.

To date, the vision has remained essentially unfunded.

1:55 New federal money for Metro Vancouver transit funding

Wilkinson said the Metro-Region Agreement would help pay for the first three BRT lines: King George Boulevard in Surrey, a Langley-Maple Ridge route and a route connecting the North Shore and Brentwood in Burnaby.

TransLink has previously estimated those routes could be up and running in five years, once funded. However, a TransLink spokesperson said Friday that even with the help of the capital funding announced Friday, launching new BRT lines would be contingent on securing money to operate them.

That is a problem Friday’s funding announcement did not address: the so-called “fiscal cliff” TransLink says it will hit in just nine months.

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The transit and transportation agency says it will face a $600 million operating deficit starting in 2026 without a new, stable source of long-term funding due to declining fare revenue, falling fuel taxes and inflation.

“That doesn’t go to our operating deficit,” said Steve Vanagas, TransLink vice-president of customer communications and public affairs.

“The province and the mayors are working really hard to find a solution going forward to that operating deficit.”

TransLink has warned of massive service cuts, including hundreds of bus routes and thousands of SkyTrain trips if the deficit can’t be addressed.

Friday’s announcement is on top of $663 million in “baseline” capital funding Ottawa announced from the Public Transit Fund earlier this year which will go to “state of good repair” projects, addressing issues such as replacing trolley wires and upgrading existing equipment.