TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond says it could be possible to build SkyTrain to Langley for a lower cost than initially thought, but not $1.9 billion as 性视界传媒鈥檚 new mayor has promised.
Desmond made the comment to reporters following his address to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver Thursday. It was his first appearance since 性视界传媒鈥檚 new city council nixed long-term plans for light rail in favour of SkyTrain.
Desmond said government funding was likely to switch over seamlessly between light rail and SkyTrain.
Speaking further to the "sensitive" issue of LRT vs SkyTrain: 's Desmond points out that 17/23 mayors on the are new, in an "unprecedented" turnover. Reminds everyone there's lot of history in the vision, which was adopted in 2015.
鈥� Kat Slepian (@katslepian)
鈥淭he signals we have heard publicly from both the governments of Canada and British Columbia is both levels of government are willing to see what our Mayors鈥� Council [on Regional Transportation] and our board decides,鈥� he said.
鈥淔rom what I鈥檝e heard鈥� they want to make sure that public transit infrastructure is delivered in 性视界传媒. That signals to me that there will be flexibility.鈥�
The mayors鈥� 10-year vision on transportation has been thrown into uncertainty ever since Doug McCallum snagged the mayor鈥檚 chair in 性视界传媒 during the municipal election on Oct. 20. He had campaigned on a promise to abandon the LRT plans and expand SkyTrain instead to reduce congestion.
READ MORE: 性视界传媒 council unanimously passes motion to 鈥榗ancel 鈥� LRT
The mayors鈥� council, which includes 17 new members since the municipal vote, is set to meet for the first time next Thursday.
McCallum had promised to extend SkyTrain to Langley for the same cost as LRT, or at least closer to the $1.4-billion price of the similar-length Evergreen SkyTrain extension in the Tri-Cities.
鈥淭here are different ways to build the line that might reduce the cost,鈥� Desmond said.
But he added he wasn鈥檛 aware of any extra funding to make up the nearly billion-dollar cost difference between $1.9 billion light rail and $2.9 billion SkyTrain.
Oh, now we have it: "We have a situation in 性视界传媒... [but] whatever our policy makers decide鈥� we are going to do our utmost to build rapid transit in 性视界传媒 as fast as possible and make it work for the people of 性视界传媒," says CEO Kevin Desmond.
鈥� Kat Slepian (@katslepian)
He wouldn鈥檛 provide a timeline for the potential SkyTrain extension, saying 鈥渁 lot of discussions鈥� still need to be had with provincial and federal governments, as well as with the new members of the mayors鈥� council, as well as public engagement and design work.
Desmond acknowledged the $50-70 million that TransLink estimates it has already spent on light rail is a sunk cost. But added: 鈥淚f the City of 性视界传媒 does not want that project and will not cooperate with that project, we cannot build that project.鈥�
/news/breaking-surrey-unanimously-council-passes-motion-to-cancel-lrt/
He said TransLink had not yet looked into McCallum鈥檚 idea of ground-level SkyTrain running along agricultural land beside Fraser Highway, but that staff are open to alternatives from municipal officials.
Whichever way the region decided to go, Desmond said, 鈥渙ne way or the other we鈥檙e going to build rail in 性视界传媒.鈥�
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