Hi All,
Attached and below is an exchange Michael had with Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Shirley Bond regarding the RapidBus lane decision in Pitt Meadows.
2009 Legislative Session: First Session, 39th Parliament
COMMITTEE A BLUES
This is a DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY of debate in one sitting of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. This transcript is subject to corrections, and will be replaced by the final, official Hansard report. Use of this transcript, other than in the legislative precinct, is not protected by parliamentary privilege, and public attribution of any of the debate as transcribed here could entail legal liability.
DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
(HANSARD)
COMMITTEE A BLUES
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009
Morning Sitting
CSA-20091008 AM 002/jlm/1005
PROCEEDINGS IN THE
DOUGLAS FIR ROOM
Committee of Supply
ESTIMATES: MINISTRY OF
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
M. Sather: Recently $16 million was awarded for a RapidBus lane on the north side of the Lougheed Highway — $8 million of that from the province from Golden Ears Bridge to the Harris Road. RapidBus lanes were announced as part of the provincial transit plan. This came as a surprise to local government, such as the mayor of Pitt Meadows, Don MacLean, who said that once again the government is not speaking to TransLink. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Mayor MacLean sits on the TransLink council of mayors. Why didn’t the government discuss this announcement with TransLink? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. S. Bond: I would urge the member opposite to go back and have another conversation, because [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
[1125]
CSA-20091008 AM 018/jag/1125
according to my staff, TransLink actually asked us to do this project. It is about the widening of Highway 7. It is about preparation for RapidBus. So in fact, while it could be called a RapidBus announcement — because eventually the widening of the highway will be used for RapidBus — TransLink asked us to help improve the flow of traffic by widening Highway 7. That’s what we’re doing, and in fact, they’re well aware of this process. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
M. Sather: Well, yes, it was called a RapidBus announcement. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
TransLink has some major funding issues, as the minister knows. There does not appear to be any money to acquire additional buses for the RapidBus lane. Does the minister think it’s a wise expenditure of taxpayer dollars to spend money at this time for a RapidBus lane when there doesn’t appear to be any money to buy the buses? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. S. Bond: In fact, I know that government remains committed to working with the council of mayors to deliver on the provincial transit plan. That’s exactly what we expect to happen. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
I think the important thing is that while we are building for the future, and we will accommodate RapidBus, this is actually an HOV lane. What it does in the short term is it actually improves the flow of traffic immediately along that corridor. In fact, it allows local bus service to take advantage of the HOV lane that we’re creating, and I think even more importantly in many ways, it facilitates use of the Golden Ears Bridge. That helps TransLink, as you can imagine, as people actually choose to use that particular bridge. So a combination of actually seeing immediate improvement for traffic flow for local bus service and building for the future. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
M. Sather: Other members want to speak, so I’ll just ask one more question. I have a number of others. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Certainly members of my community will be interested to know it’s not actually for RapidBus. But according to Jeff Knight, Transportation Ministry spokesman, the RapidBus lane will run westbound only and there are no plans for an eastbound lane. How are the people who take the RapidBus to work across the Pitt River Bridge in the morning supposed for get home at night when the RapidBus only runs in one direction? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. S. Bond: I want to go back. The comments about RapidBus were correct. It will be a RapidBus lane. In the meantime, as we utilize that lane, it benefits immediate traffic flow — pretty important in terms of that stretch of the highway. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
In terms of why the lanes are being built the way they are, currently there are three eastbound lanes and two westbound lanes. The reason we’re adding another lane on the westbound is so that we have three lanes on either side of the highway, which would then accommodate RapidBus. We’re balancing the highway so that it has three lanes on either side. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
