Supports Item No. 3

P&E Committee Agenda
February 22, 2001

EXTRACT FROM MINUTES OF
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING - JANUARY 30, 2001
MOTION B.2

2. Moratorium on Skytrain Extension File: 5559

At the Regular Council meeting on January 23, 2001, Cllr. Bass gave notice that at the next regular meeting of Council he would move the following motion. (Note from Clerk: At the Regular Council meeting on January 30, 2001, this motion was referred to the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment in order to hear speakers.)

MOVED by Cllr. Bass,
SECONDED by Cllr. Louis,

WHEREAS the provincial government’s reluctance to implement TransLink’s automobile levy combined with the extremely high costs of further SkyTrain construction have has created a fiscal crisis in transportation funding in the Lower Mainland;

AND WHEREAS the high costs of further SkyTrain expansion will be borne by taxpayers for decades: The total capital costs are Phase II Commercial Drive West SkyTrain option to Granville--$579 million (1999 dollars) vs. Rapid Bus--$88 million (1999 dollars);

AND WHEREAS George Puil, the Chair of Translink, has stated that, SkyTrain Phase 2 will likely not be extended west of Vancouver Community College for a decade, by which time both the route and SkyTrain technology may no longer be the best choices;

AND WHEREAS the Vancouver City Council supported the extension of Skytrain to Granville Street on the basis that the provincial government would pay 2/3 of the cost only if the expensive Skytrain option was the choice of technology used;

AND WHEREAS public consultation which preceded the City’s adoption of Skytrain technology was restricted and focused on a part of one corridor--Broadway to Arbutus;

AND WHEREAS the people of the GVRD have not been offered specific plans for all transportation in the region, including total costs, choice of transit technology, and routes of automobiles, buses, transit and other forms of transportation;

...cont'd/

- 2 -

Moratorium on Skytrain Extension (cont’d)

AND WHEREAS the people of Vancouver have not been given an opportunity to express their views on the routes and technology on currently-planned rapid transit expansion, including the Richmond/YVR transit line currently under limited study;

AND WHEREAS the Grandview Woodlands Area Council and adjacent neighbourhood organizations have unanimously opposed the expansion of Skytrain along the Grandview Cut west of Commercial Drive;

AND WHEREAS a Skytrain terminus at the Finning lands north of Vancouver Community College would result in further destruction of the Grandview Cut and little benefit to local residents and provide no connection to other transit;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Vancouver calls on all parties concerned with funding and construction of the extension of Skytrain west of Commercial Drive to place a moratorium on further work until completion of the following three tasks:

1) Development of an overall, long-term, fully-costed and up-to-date regional transportation plan;
2) A full environmental assessment of that plan, and,
3) After development of the plan and the environmental assessment, extensive region-wide public consultation in order to make appropriate modifications to the plan.

- referred

The Chair advised a number of delegation requests have been received on this matter. Therefore, Council agreed to refer consideration of the motion to the next Standing Committee on Planning and Environment meeting.

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver