Transit in Abbotsford going to suck for a while....

An article with Abbotsford Mayor George Peary's view on transit appeared in The Abbotsford News. As I posted earlier, the Strategic Review of Transit in the Fraser Valley Report was released in December and recommended more transit service. Right now Abbotsford is at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to transit funding and if the Mayor's comments are any indication, it is going to be that way for some time.

He called the strategic review “a visionary document,” and said Abbotsford is not about to double its transit budget.

Current Average Household Transit Property Tax, Blue.
Future Average Household Transit Property Tax  if Doubled in Abbotsford, Red.

If Abbotsford was to double its transit budget it would result in a 3/10th of a percent increase in one year on property tax. If Abbotsford committed to a 3 year plan of double transit service, it would amount to about a $4 a year increase to transit funding. If Abbotsford won't even pay that, forget about an interregional transit Express Buses or the Interurban!

However, on Monday night, Abbotsford council approved a staff recommendation that “future transit planning for the City of Abbotsford focus on local transit investment.”