Every day, hundreds of thousands of people in B.C. find themselves stuck in traffic.
But the Campbell government is refusing to address the problem. Gordon Campbell has no plans to expand transit for many years. Instead, his government’s priority for transit has been an unpopular and undemocratic revamping of the Translink Board in Metro Vancouver – a move they rammed through the Legislature after closing off debate.
Carole James and the NDP have put forward solutions that would start to reduce traffic congestion right now, so that commuters can spend more quality time with their families and less time stuck in traffic.
In the Lower Mainland we need more buses and bus routes, more Skytrain cars, and rapid transit and light rail to the Fraser Valley. We have the highest transit fares in the country and Surrey doesn’t have nearly enough buses to accommodate ridership. NDP Leader Carole James is committed to rolling back fare increases, and in a ten point plan Carole James is calling for expanding transit for surrey areas, with increased Skytrain safety.
Here is what we would like to see happen with the 10-point plan:
- Increase the number of SkyTrain police by 50%, with the goal of having one security person at every SkyTrain station while the line in operating.
- Provide additional after-hours security at all stations.
- Place primary focus on security rather than fare evasion.
- Build new turnstiles now with direct grant from provincial government rather than re-directing Translink resources to private sector scheme.
- Implement a pilot walk-home program for at least five high-risk stations.
- Expand the Joyce-Collingwood pink-whistle program.
- Conduct full review of lighting at SkyTrain stations.
- Increase sponsorship of community gardens and other amenities at SkyTrain stations.
- Support the bus drivers campaign to implement stiffer criminal penalties for attacks on transit personnel.
- Restore support for Victims’ services and anti-violence against women programs and women’s centres.
