Metro Vancouver mayors present transit funding plan to province
Money still needed to fund Surrey light rail and the Broadway subway line
Metro Vancouver mayors have presented the province with a new plan to fund transit projects — one they hope will be approved by June.
Though she wouldn't reveal specific details, Surrey mayor Linda Hepner told CBC News Friday that the suggested funding model was made up of many parts.
"I can tell you I don't think we'll find a single source," Hepner said. "I think we will be relying on multiple options."
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The province has already ruled out the possibility of a carbon tax funneled directly to transit funding, but some kind of vehicle levy could still be a possibility.
"We have been clear that it is to be revenue neutral, so that is a complicated discussion," Transit Minister Peter Fassbender said Friday.
The federal government has committed to covering half the cost of major projects, including the Surrey light rail project and the Broadway subway line. The province would pick up a third, leaving the cities responsible for the remaining 17 per cent.
With files from Richard Zussman.