As cuts to West Vancouver’s Blue Bus service go into effect May 2, municipal council is calling on senior levels of government to bail out the beleaguered transit system.
TransLink announced last week it is making significant cuts to service, after revealing plummeting ridership has resulted in a loss of $75 million a month.
Among the anticipated cuts are bus routes in West Vancouver.
West Vancouver council added its voice to the chorus asking both federal and provincial governments to help this week, a request that has also been made by the unions representing Blue Bus workers.
“Basically we’re asking the feds and the province to step up,” said Coun. Craig Cameron during the regular council meeting where he put forward the motion, adding about 40 per cent of the ridership on TransLink throughout Metro Vancouver are essential workers who are needed in care homes, grocery stores and hospitals.
Cameron also voiced concern that if people get out of the habit of using transit and end up buying cars while TransLink service is cut back, they likely won’t go back to transit when life returns to normal.
Coun. Peter Lambur suggested if Metro mayors want to see services preserved, they might have to pay for it by raising TransLink tax levies or putting in “mobility pricing.”
But Cameron said that would likely mean a more than doubling of the TransLink levy to make up the shortfall.
Booth cautioned a previous referendum on raising sales tax to help pay for expansion of the transit system had been defeated by the public. “I would think mobility pricing would be just as popular,” she said.
“There is only one taxpayer.”
Coun. Bill Soprovich said West Vancouver taxpayers are already hit with disproportionately high TransLink taxes based on their high assessment values.
Starting Saturday, three Blue Bus routes are being suspended including the 251 Park Royal/Queens the 252 Park Royal/Inglewood and the 262 Lions Bay/Caulfeild.
