April 25th Council Notes: Property Tax Mill Rate. Amendments to the Financial Plan

Langley City Council approved some financial measures at its Monday afternoon meeting. With the 2022-2026 Financial Plan adopted previously, Council gave first, second, and third reading to the 2022 Tax Rate Bylaw. This bylaw sets the property tax mill rate for the various property classes, as shown below.

2022 Mill Rate for Langley City. Select table to enlarge.

The City is budgeting $33.4 million in property tax revenue this year. The City collects about 51% of total property taxes revenue from residential properties and the remainder from commercial properties and utilities. Of residential properties in Langley City, 68% are strata.

Property tax and utility notices are sent out in June.

Even though the 2022-2026 Financial Plan was just adopted, Council gave first, second and third reading to amend the Financial Plan. It has been about a quarter of a year since Council gave first reading to the Financial Plan. Since then, the City has received grant money to fund projects and has changed other projects’ scope. When this happens, Council needs to approve amendments to the Financial Plan. This process usually happens two or three times per year. The Financial Plan amendments are:

City Park Field Upgrade: A $750,000 Federal Government grant plus an extra $914,995 from casino proceeds to help fund this $2.1 million project

Douglas Recreation Centre Childcare Centre: If City receives a $2.4 million grant from Province, the City will contribute $100,000 to fund the $2.5 million project

Master Transportation Plan: $97,000 grant from TransLink to fund Bus Speed & Reliability Hotspot Study

Traffic Signal Upgrades: TransLink grant to improve 200th Street and 48th Avenue intersection

Facilities Condition Assessment: $10,000 grant from Province to help fund assessment

UBCM Poverty Reduction Grant: $25,000 grant from the UBCM

Nexus SkyTrain Implementation: $50,000 from City reserves

Glover Road Bike Lanes: $100,000 from City reserves to fund additional costs

Fraser Highway (204 St to 206 St) Design: $50,000 from City reserves

Leachate Pump Station for Old Dump Under Uplands Dog Offleash: $75,000 from City reserves to help offset higher costs of the project

Website Upgrade Project: Additional $60,000 from City reserves to fund the $90,000 project

46 Ave, 206A to 207 St Storm Sewer: Additional $100,000 from City reserves

Floodplain Mapping: Additional $20,000 from City reserves to fund the $140,000 project

April 28th: Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured

Langley City Council received a presentation from the New Westminster & District Labour Council about the Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured on the job. This Day of Mourning takes place annually on April 28th.

In 2020, 151 people died due to work-related deaths. Of those, 51 were due to asbestos exposure. 96% of those workers who died were men.

Many more people an injured on the job, both physically and mentally. Council was reminded that mental health is just as important as physical health, and both mental and physical harm negatively impact workers’ quality of life.

WorkSafeBC has a Psychological Health and Safety Initiative page, including what employers can do to ensure mental health safety.

Please visit the Day of Mourning BC website for a listing of local Day of Mourning ceremonies. You can also watch a live stream event starting at 10:30 am on Thursday. You can read stories from workers and their families.

Langley City will also have an observance at the City Hall/Timms Community Centre flag poles on Thursday at 11 am.

Transit Priorities over the Next Decade: RapidBus and Bus Rapid Transit

TransLink is currently working with its partners, including the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation, to develop a list of priority transportation measures to implement over the coming decade. These measures are based on the overall goals of Transport 2050, the region’s long-term transportation vision.

RapidBus. Select image to enlarge.

TransLink plans to implement 11 new RapidBus lines over the next decade. TransLink will convert some of these current and planned RapidBus routes to Bus Rapid Transit over time.

Map of proposed transit improvements over the next decade. Select map to enlarge.

RapidBus routes have enhanced bus stops with real-time schedules, articulated buses, and transit priority measures such as queue-jumping lanes, bus lanes, and traffic signal prioritization. With RapidBus, these priority measures are only implemented in select locations along the route. With Bus Rapid Transit, these transit priority measures run along the whole route. Additionally, RapidBus bus-only lanes in the region use paint and signs to keep other traffic out of those lanes. There is physical separation with bus rapid transit lanes to keep other traffic out of those lanes.

The only Bus Rapid Transit that Metro Vancouver had was along No. 3 Road for the 98 B-Line in Richmond. This Bus Rapid Transit was removed when the Canada Line opened.

98 B-Line Bus Rapid Transit on No. 3 Road in Richmond. Image Source: Busologist

TransLink will create the following RapidBus routes in the first five years of the plan:

• Langley – Haney Place (200th St)
• Lynn Valley – Downtown/Lonsdale
• Marine Drive – 22nd St Station
• Newton - White Rock (R1 extension)
• R7 Richmond – Expo Line

In the second half of the plan, TransLink will create these routes:

• Ambleside – Downtown (Lions Gate)
• Carvolth – Scott Rd (96 Ave)
• Commercial/Victoria
• Langley – White Rock (24 Ave)
• New Westminster Station – Brentwood (Canada Way)
• Newton – Guildford (152nd St)

Over the decade, TransLink would convert the following routes to Bus Rapid Transit:

• Hastings St (upgrade from R5)
• King George Blvd (Surrey to White Rock)
• Langley – Haney Place (200 St - Golden Ears - Lougheed Hwy)
• Lougheed Hwy (upgrade from R3)
• Lynn Valley – Downtown/Lonsdale (Lions Gate)
• Marine Drive Station – 22nd St Station (Marine Way)
• Richmond Centre – Metrotown (Knight-Victoria-49th Ave)
• Scott Road (upgrade from R6)

By focusing on improving bus service, TransLink will be able to provide fast, frequent transit service to more people than just building SkyTrain alone.

For more information, please read TransLink’s new Discussion Guide.

Broadway Subway Extension to UBC – Should it be fully tunnelled?

With the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension fully funded and underway, the next major public transit project that the region wants to see built is the Broadway Subway extension to UBC. Right now, the subway is terminating at Arbutus on Broadway.

UBC Transit Exchange

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwxw̱ú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), TransLink, UBC, Metro Vancouver, and the Provinces are studying alignment options for this proposed extension.

The following shows the likely alignment of the extension.

Proposed UBC Subway Extension Alignment. Select image to enlarge.

One of the things to note is a potential future infill station on xʷməθkʷəy̓əm lands.

Whether the extension to UBC will be fully tunnelled or have above grade sections is of more interest. The regional standard for SkyTrain is to build it above grade, only tunnelling when absolutely needed. Tunnelling is costly.

According to TransLink, transitioning from a tunnel to above grade at Arbutus is technically feasible. While technically possible, TransLink claims that the only “functionally feasible” area that could be above grade would be on xʷməθkʷəy̓əm lands.

While I’m sure considerations like land aquation costs factor in the “functionally feasibility,” I find it interesting that areas west of Cambie Street in Vancouver get the tunnel treatment almost as a default. The Canada Line is a good example. It is almost entirely tunnelled in the City of Vancouver, but above grade in Richmond. I certainly hope that the region, the province, and the federal government will not foot the added costs for tunnelling simply because it goes through the fancy Point Grey area of the City of Vancouver. I hope there are other functional requirements for tunnelling beyond neighbourhood median household income.

The Mayors’ Council is looking at incorporating the Broadway Subway extension to UBC as part of their new 10-year vision. The earliest the extension would take place is in year six of the vision, and only once future regional Bus Rapid Transit has commenced. Of course, the federal and provincial governments would need to provide funding.

The Mayors’ Council Finance and Governance Committee is recommending that any decision on fully tunnelling the extension to UBC only occur after local and third-party contribution agreements have been worked out.