March 8, 2007

VANCOUVER – The BC Liberal government is releasing an independent report that recommends reorganizing the current TransLink governance and funding structure to ensure it can meet the transportation and environmental needs of the future, announced Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon and TransLink Review Panel chair Marlene Grinnell today.

“Our goal is to ensure that TransLink has the governance structure and resources needed to move forward,” said Falcon. “The proper planning and delivery of the region’s transit projects is vital to an effective transportation system that will help us meet our collective goals of a competitive economy and a cleaner environment for all British Columbians.”

In 2006, a three-person independent panel was established to review the existing TransLink structure, seek input from the public and stakeholders, and submit recommendations to the minister on how to proceed in the future.

“We cannot overstate the importance of planning for the future,” said Grinnell. “Our recommendations rest on our conviction that the provincial government must act boldly to create a forward-thinking and fiscally accountable transit authority.”

“The panel members found that the current TransLink model is no longer effective as it stands,” said Falcon. “They recommend developing a new governance and funding model to better serve the Lower Mainland, ensuring that dollars are there and being effectively used for crucial transportation projects in the future.”

The Province intends to move forward with the recommendations so that the new TransLink structure will restore public confidence, provide sustainable funding and meet environmental priorities of British Columbians. The recommended structure will enable the construction of the Evergreen Line and the re-establishment of efficient transit service for communities along the Highway 1 corridor and across the Port Mann Bridge.

The Panel’s findings are included in the document TransLink Governance Review – An independent review of the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority, which is available on the Internet at www.th.gov.bc.ca/translinkreview.