He gave an overview of the services that TransLink provides: from buses and SkyTrain to the major road network. I suggest that you listen to the audio and view the presentation at the bottom of this post.
What I really found impressive was his overview of TransLink's public consultation process. Many people believe that the TransLink public consultation process is nothing but a sham. I have to disagree. I was part of the South of Fraser Area Transit Plan and over the last few years, I've seen the service improvements that we identified. Remember it was the provincial government that decided to build SkyTrain for the Millennium Line and Evergreen Line, TransLink and the region picked light rail.
Besides the province's 30 year love affair with SkyTrain, the real problem is the lack of funding for the agency. This goes right back to day one when the government of the day canceled the vehicle levy. If TransLink is going to be able to improve transportation in our region, it will be the province that will have to solve the funding issue. I know that politicians won't like it, but unless they plan on hiking the gas tax or property tax all that's really left is some sort of road pricing. Until then, TransLink is in a holding pattern.
Anyways, we had a great meeting and both Joe and I look forward to continuing being a part of the Surrey Rapid Transit Study process.
Presentation
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