We’ve made almost $4 billion of capital investment since 2001 and we’re spending $3.3 billion over the next three years on new projects. Ninety per cent of active projects are outside the Lower Mainland.
Our Gateway Transportation Program will open up the province’s transportation network that costs our economy $1.5 billion a year in congestion.
Our $14-billion public transit plan will reduce provincial transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 4.7 million tonnes cumulatively by 2020.
By building a new Port Mann Bridge, our new RapidBus service will be the first bus service crossing the bridge in 20 years, carrying 21,000 commuters by 2031.
We’ve eliminated the toll on the Coquihalla Highway returning nearly $60 million a year to travellers and truckers.
We’ve protected TransLink from political interference and ensured it has the expertise to run a world-class transit system.
We took the politics out of ICBC’s rate setting and moved final decisions to the independent BC Utilities Commission.
BC Ferries is replacing 26 old vessels over the next 15 years with new, state-of-the-art ships, including three new super-C class vessels that are already plying B.C. waters and were delivered on time and under budget.
We’ve committed over $36.5 million to more than 35 community airports for terminal and runway expansions and upgrades in communities such as 100 Mile House, Princeton, Vanderhoof, Kamloops, Cranbrook, Smithers, Prince George, Nanaimo and others.
BC Ferries We believe a ferry system that is independently-regulated, self-financed and free from political interference is able to offer better, safer, more reliable, and more cost effective services for users. Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon talks about BC Ferries.
In response to the NDP Fast Ferries Fiasco and a decade of mismanagement, we transformed BC Ferries in April 2003 from a Crown corporation into an independent, commercial organization free of political interference.
Independence freed BC Ferries from political interference and allows them to access financial markets, build new ferries and upgrade terminals.
BC Ferries is now governed by an independent board comprised of members selected by the communities serviced by BC Ferries, the union, and the Province.
BC Ferries is advised by 12 regional Ferry Advisory Committees (FACs) that represent a broad base of residents and customers in ferry dependent communities.
BC Ferries is required to hold an annual public board meeting where the public can ask questions.
BC Ferries' fares and core service levels are overseen by an independent regulator, the BC Ferries Commissioner.
The independent BC Ferries Commissioner has the power to investigate and respond to the public’s concerns and inquiries.
The provincial and the federal governments will provide $176 million this year ($149 million provincial, $27 million federal) to maintain service levels and keep fares affordable.
In 2008/09 we invested $20 million to reduce ferry fares by 33 per cent for December 2008 and January 2009 to help support coastal communities over the holidays.
BC Ferries is now replacing 26 old vessels over the next 15 years with new, state-of-the-art ships. Already, three Super-C class ferries have been built and are in service today-- delivered on time and under the $542 million budget.
One new ship is already in service on northern routes, and a second new ship was delivered in March 2009.
BC Ferries is investing millions on upgrading vessels:
$37 million - Queen of Surrey
$35 million - Queen of Oak Bay
$25 million - Queen of Alberni
$15 million - Queen of Nanaimo
$14 million - Spirit of Vancouver Island
$13 million - Queen of Cowichan
$11 million - Spirit of British Columbia
$191 million was invested in terminal upgrades between 2003 and 2008. Another $250 million in terminal upgrades is expected over the next five years.
Improvements are making a difference: 88 per cent of passengers in 2007 said they were satisfied overall with their experience.
BC Rail Partnership & Benefits The BC Rail Investment Partnership responded to concerns expressed by mayors and shippers by providing better and faster service, new jobs and substantial investments in B.C.’s ports and railway network.
We delivered a partnership generating $1 billion in new investment and opening new opportunities for northern and rural B.C.
The BC Rail Investment Partnership:
Eliminated BC Rail’s $500-million debt.
Created the $135-million Northern Development Initiative Trust.
Created the $15-million BC Rail Benefits (First Nations) Trust.
Provided $30 million for the expansion of the Port of Prince Rupert.
Sees up to $8.3 million a year in new, ongoing revenues for communities along the rail corridor.
Since the Partnership, CN Rail has:
Built a $20 million intermodal facility.
Moved their district office to Prince George from Winnipeg.
Purchased over 800 rail cars.
Opened a new wheel shop in Prince George.
British Columbians continue to own the tracks, the railbed and right of ways through the BC Railway Crown Corporation.
Gateway Program The Gateway Transportation Program is building a comprehensive, effective transportation network that supports public transit, cycling and improved movement of people and goods.
The South Fraser Perimeter Road that will remove trucks from Highway 17, restoring municipal roads, community connectors and reducing travel times.
The Port Mann/Hwy 1 Project that will add a new 10-lane bridge with HOV lanes and transit lanes, providing bus service across the Port Mann and future rapid transit, and cycling infrastructure. The $2.46 billion project will be entirely financed through a $3 toll starting in 2013. View a rendering of the new Port Mann Bridge.
Currently congestion costs our economy over $1.5 billion annually, up significantly from a decade ago.
Our growing population needs this upgrade. Twenty years of local and regional planning called for the South Fraser Perimeter Road, and the Port Mann Bridge is congested up to 14 hours a day making it impossible to provide reliable public transit.
Through our investment, travellers could see time savings of between 5 per cent and 30 per cent over 2003 due to reduced travel and idling depending on origin and destination.
Further environmental benefits include:
New RapidBus service over the Port Mann will be the first bus service crossing the bridge in over 20 years and is estimated to carry over 21,000 commuters daily by 2031.
$50 million in cycling infrastructure, the largest investment in BC’s history.
ICBC We believe that a publicly owned, independently regulated auto-insurance corporation free from political interference is able to offer more equitable, cost-effective basic insurance services. There should be competition between service providers for optional insurance to increase customer choice.
After years of political interference in rate setting at ICBC, we took the politics out of ICBC’s operations.
ICBC is now overseen by a professional board appointed on merit.
ICBC operations are now regulated by the independent BC Utilities Commission which ensures ICBC offers good service and fair rates.
Under this structure any rate increase must be justified to the independent BCUC as fair before it can be implemented.
Basic insurance coverage remains fully public, but we have allowed for competition in optional insurance so that consumers have a choice between either public or private insurance resulting in greater choice and lower overall rates for drivers.
We directed ICBC to ensure high-risk drivers paid higher rates that reflect the high cost of their dangerous driving to discourage poor driving and provide lower rates for safe drivers.
Major Transportation Projects We believe in investing in our road system because safe and timely movement of goods and people is critical to job creation, B.C.’s economy and our communities. Since 2001, we’ve made nearly $4 billion in capital investments and we’re spending $3.3 billion over the next three years on new projects. Ninety per cent of active projects are outside the Lower Mainland.
Construction has started on the new $2.46-billion Port Mann Bridge/Highway 1 project using a design-build, fixed-price contract. It will create about 8,000 jobs and remains on schedule for completion in 2013.
The Golden Ears Bridge and its connecting roads will link Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows on the north shore of the Fraser River with Langley and Surrey on the south shore. Scheduled for completion in June 2009, the bridge will also provide for cycling and pedestrian lanes.
The $285-million Border Infrastructure Program is improving key sections of the region’s road network for better links between border crossings, ports, container facilities, industrial parks, airports & railways.
Provincial Transit Plan The BC Liberal $14-billion transit plan aims to double transit ridership by increasing choice for people around B.C. with new fleets, green technology and rapid transit lines. With new innovative services like RapidBus BC the plan will reduce traffic, GHG emissions and save British Columbians time and money. Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon talks about our plan to expand transit.
Our $14-billion public transit plan will double transit ridership and reduce provincial transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 4.7 million tonnes cumulatively by 2020.
We’re committing $4.75 billion, with the remainder coming from partners including the federal government, TransLink and local governments.
The plan includes $10.3 billion for four new rapid transit lines in Metro Vancouver - the Evergreen Line, UBC Line, upgraded Expo Line and the Canada Line.
$1.2 billion will go to new, cutting edge energy efficient, high capacity RapidBus BC service along nine major routes in the high growth urban centres of Kelowna, Victoria and Metro Vancouver.
$1.6 billion for 1,500 new, clean energy buses and related maintenance infrastructure to provide communities around the province with improved bus service.
Providing $47 million toward the purchase 103 new buses and added 14 more SkyTrain cars to the current order of 34, expanding the SkyTrain fleet to 258.
Adding electronic gates and closed-circuit cameras at rapid transit stations, and a new smart-card system for rapid transit and buses. Users can reload it at vending machines or on the Internet.
The GHG savings from the transit plan will be about equivalent to parking all cars and light trucks in Metro Vancouver for one year.
Tolling Policy We believe tolls should only be used to finance new roads where there is a free alternative so that those who use the roads can help pay for them. Once the road is paid for, the toll must come off.
In 2003, we passed a provincial tolling policy that said tolls can only be used to finance new infrastructure where there is a free alternative and that any infrastructure financed by toll revenue must see the tolls removed upon recovery of construction costs.
As a result of our tolling policy, in September 2008 we removed the toll on the Coquihalla Highway.
The toll had generated $848 million, roughly the capital cost of building the Coquihalla.
Removing the toll saves British Columbians $57 million per year.
A passenger vehicle making a round trip twice monthly saves $480 a year.
A commercial truck making a round trip once a week saves $4,800 a year.
The Province will use a $3 toll to finance a new 10-lane Port Mann bridge when it opens in 2013. Once the bridge is paid for in 35 years, the toll will be removed.
Translink We believe that a Transit system for the Lower Mainland that is independently regulated, self-financed, professionally-run and free from political interference offers better, safer, more cost-effective services for users.
After years of mismanagement and political interference in TransLink’s operations we appointed an expert three-person independent panel to review TransLink’s structure.
In 2007 we introduced legislation adopting all of the recommendations of the expert panel.
The new structure freed Translink from political interference, ensuring it was run by experts and maintaining public accountability through a Council of Mayors.
A screening panel chaired by former NDP Premier Mike Harcourt decided what the expert board would be paid.
The screening panel also identified 15 qualified people to serve on TransLink’s Board, from which the Council of Mayors selected the nine current directors.
The professional board of directors have the skills and professional backgrounds necessary to oversee the operation of TransLink.
An independent commissioner was also created to regulate fares and enhance transparency and due diligence regarding TransLink’s plans and initiatives.
All major capital projects and fare increases require approval by both the Commissioner and Council of Mayors. The council of Mayors must also approve any new taxes.
As a result of professional management, today’s fares remain competitive with other jurisdictions. Basic one-zone cash fares comparisons:
Metro Vancouver: $2.50
Ottawa: $3
Montreal: $2.75
Toronto: $2.75
Tickets in Montreal are valid 90 minutes in one direction only; in Metro Vancouver you can travel 90 minutes in any direction on the initial fare.
For transit riders using monthly passes or FareSaver tickets, the average fare per trip has increased just 43 cents in the past eight years, yet during the same period funding for transit services increased by 93 per cent.
We’re providing TransLink with $4.8 million to purchase a new, third Seabus and help reduce traffic and greenhouse gas emissions.
As part of our Provincial Transit Plan, we provided $47 million toward the purchase 103 new buses and added 14 more SkyTrain cars to the current order of 34, expanding the SkyTrain fleet to 258.
