[Busriders-van] Adding insult to injury

Tue Sep 10 18:08:51 PDT 2002

Hello Phil et al, 

 I'm going to attach my news contributions to Vancouver Co-operative Radio's Redeye show.  The first two items are irrelevant to this thread, but the third was contributed by Phil, with only minor changes.  
I tend to be upbeat about Redeye, mainly because it's the most widely listened to program on 102.7 FM.  Phil: thanks for spreading the analysis with the BRU.  It won't be wasted.

--- pwlegood at sfu.ca wrote:> Hi All> > Hope everyone had a good summer!> > After having a good look at Translink's new and approved> 3 Year Financial> Plan I'm finding some unpleasant facts.  I hope you can> follow the> following:> > 1.  Translink over the next three years will pump some> $130 million into the> SkyTrain Millenium Line for operating costs and debt> service costs (includes> start up costs).  For this huge public investment they> will only receive $16> million of revenue from Millenium Line fares.  That> leaves a $114 million> deficit that must be recovered from other Translink> transit revenues and/or> more property taxes for residents of the GVRD.	This does> not count the> Provincial Government's obligation to pay off its share> of the SkyTrain> Millenium Line debt.  The province will put out some $216> million over the> next three years alone for the SkyTrain Millenium Line.> Translink and the> Province's total cost to subsidize the SkyTrain Millenium> Line over the next> three years will be $330 million. ($110 million per> year).  Of course this> huge public expense will not end in 2004.  This amount of> public cash will> be required for another 20 - 30 years!	> > (Incidently, the premier is boasting that the SkyTrain> Expo Line would not> have been built if it wasn't for Expo 86.  What the> premier fails to tell> the public is that this same Expo Line is costing the> province more than> $110 million per year even after 17 years of service. > None of this $110> million is recovered from SkyTrain fares.  He also fails> to tell us that he> himself in a Globe and Mail article called SkyTrain a> "huge capital drain". > The budget deficits for schools and health care services> in the province is> the product of expensive public transportation> investments.  The province's> and Translink's subsidies for the SkyTrain Millenium Line> of $110 million> per year as well as the more than $130 for the Expo Line> would go a long way> in providing adequate affordable housing, quality> education and health care> services in the region.)> > 2.  Translink expects to receive somewhere around $170 -> $190 million over> the next 3 years from the new increase in transit fares,> new property taxes> and other transit revenue put forth in "Choice 2".  Over> $100 million of> this new revenue will come from the increased fares put> into the bus fare> boxes.	Around 80% of all new transit revenue!	However,> only $30 odd> million of this $100 million in new bus fare revenue over> the next three> years is being pumped back into the buses.  Where is the> rest going?  If you> guessed the Millenium Line, you're correct.  As> predicted!> > 3.  The original 10 year Financial Plan of Translink's> indicated a fare> increase in Year 2003. Is Translink looking at increasing> fares for Year> 2003?  > > 4.  The 3 Year Plan of Translink's shows only a peak hour> ridership on the> SkyTrain Millenium Line of 1200!  Since most of the buses> that run in the> north eastern part of the region are being redirected to> the Millenium Line> or eliminated all together, one can safely say that> almost all of the riders> on the new line are former bus passengers who are now> without any other> transit option to get them to work or school.  When> Chicago built the Orange> Line it redirected it buses to the Orange Line stations.> Over 2500 bus> transit users (20% of the Orange Line's ridership) had to> return to using> their cars to get to work or school as the Orange Line no> longer took them> to their destinations.	This highlights the problems of> fixed modes of> transit.  The only way fixed or urban rail systems can> function effectively> is if their is numerous lines criss-crossing a region> such as New York,> Toronto and other high density cities.	We are not a high> population density> city or region.> > 5. On the Olympic Games front:	A report prepared by a> professor of urban> and transportation planning at Portland State University> shows that most> airport to city centre rail lines carry only 2 - 4% of> all passengers> travelling through the airport.  Now why would anyone in> their right minds> (those who care for the public purse) invest $2 BILLION> in an urban rail> project (actually it will be in the range of $140 million> dollars a year> over 30 years) when it will carry so few passengers.  At> worst the present> fast bus service to the airport and to Richmond City> Centre from downtown> Vancouver costs around $6 million a year ($500,000 a> month) in subsidies. > The SkyTrain to the Airport Line would require subsidies> in the range of $11> million a month or $132 million per year for the next 30> years!  So why are> municipal politicians pushing this huge expense on to the> residents of their> communities?  Did they even take the time to enquire what> their citizens> priorities are for public spending? > > 6.  And on a totally unrelated subject:  A recent issue> of the PIQUE from> Whistler shows a few two bedroom, two bathroom townhouses> on sale for> $750,000. (These same townhouses in White Rock would sell> for $250,000.  The> townhouses for sale in Whistler are good examples of> pre-Olympic bargains!> > 7. When will BCer's stop electing former mayors of> Vancouver?  Is Philip> Owen going to be our next premier? > >  > > > _______________________________________________> Busriders-van mailing list> Busriders-van at resist.ca> http://resist.ca/mailman/listinfo/busriders-van

Bonne chance,

Mark Dickson, 

(604) 584-0978 

Volunteer for Vancouver Co-operative Radio, CFRO, 102.7 FM
"Our own morality is full of taboos. There are all sorts,even in the most August things. Now there is one sin definitely recognised to be a sin, which I have never committed. It says, 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's Ox.' Now I never have."-Bertrand Russell Speaks His Mind

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