Tuesday, May 31, 2011

 

BCRail: $1.1 billion. Victoria-to-Langford: $950 million.

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BC Mary comment: The dictionary says that "relevant" means when something is just so right that only one word can highlight the relevance of the situation. OK, let me say that one word -- BCRail -- which certainly highlights the $950 million price-tag for building 20-miles of track between Victoria and Langford. BC Rail was a class II regional railway and the third-largest in Canada, operating 2,320 km (1,441 miles) of mainline track vital to the provincial economy.  Gordon Campbell thought that a $1.1 billion sell-off price was great news. And now, Victoria wants to spend almost as much on on 20 miles of track in Victoria's back yard??  Isn't this relevant??
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Revenue options explored for Greater Victoria's billion-dollar rail system


Funding may come from hike in gas taxes


By Bill Cleverley
Times Colonist - May 31, 2011

With a billion-dollar light rail system on the horizon, members of Victoria's transit commission will be meeting with Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom this morning looking for more revenue sources.

Everything from an increase in gas taxes to a piece of carbon taxes to possible new fees for parking or vehicle registration should be up for consideration, says Saanich councillor and transit commission member Susan Brice.

"Obviously transit is fulfilling a vision that the province has for increasing ridership," said Brice.

"[We'd like to] talk about whatever options there might be. That might be a gas tax - whatever. We're into a project here that certainly puts the Victoria Regional Transit Commission in a more significant decision-making process than it had for the previous 10 or 20 years."

The Victoria Regional Transit Commission, the Capital Regional District and the BC Transit Board have all endorsed plans for a $950-million light rail system between Victoria and Langford but say they need commitment from senior levels of government before they can move ahead.

Victoria Regional Transit Commission chairman Christopher Causton did not want to get into specifics about what might be discussed at the meeting.

Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard, a transit commission member, says while additional revenue is always welcome, something also has to be done about the way money is being spent by B.C. Transit without what he believes is adequate opportunity for local oversight.

B.C. Transit is a Crown corporation that essentially acts as a contractor to various regional transit systems in the province.

{Snip} ... 


"So if it is true that millions of dollars are being spent on real estate for potential LRT, it just adds to my frustration that next year's budget request is going to be huge. They're going to look at another double-digit tax increase. And if you try to do something about it you can't."

Leonard's not alone in calling for a change in transit governance. More than three dozen municipal and regional government officials are also hoping for a meeting with Lekstrom to share concerns with respect to transit communication, marketing, transportation planning, governance and funding.

"Obviously, senior government funding is wonderful but I think we need public confidence in how money is being spent and I don't have that confidence," Leonard said.

Read more HERE:

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Revenue+options+explored+Greater+Victoria+billion+dollar+rail+system/4866182/story.html#ixzz1NwHGQ6Dv

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Comments:
Mayor Frank Leonard is an ass.

He sits on the Secondary Sewage Treatment Board, and is happy to pass all votes knowing fine well that the proposed plan will NOT IMPROVE THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT BUT WILL CAUSE MORE HARM THAND DOES THE STATUS QUO:

1. increased green house gases from land based treatement
2. will not remove "the pill" from the sewage
3. what to do with the slugde one the HArtland is filled in? Oh yeah, burn more fossil fuels trucking it to Merritt
4 will cost nearly 2 Billion once all in
5 will cause an increase in water bills by 200%
6 will increase propety taxes by 1000 per yr


The current method is scientifically fine. Scientists have said so. The only ones for this are the Politicians, norably, the Liberals, becuase they know it will take the wind out of the NDPs sails, becuase they would do it in a heart beat, and it just seems wrong, just like it did the world flat not so many years ago.

Our ignorance will be the nd of us.
 
Geeez Mary! Crazy! isn't it?

1st sell the complete train set for the whole province of BC for 1.1 billion;

then buy a tiny commuter rail that runs between Victoria and some of it's burbs for 0.9 billion.

I wonder how much provincial funding will be involved in that deal?

Other than what I've just said, I am currently speechless over the whole bloody afair. It's just too upsetting!
 
We'll probably build it as some hokey P3 project and then give it to CN anyway so why worry. Pipeline looping projects occuring on the Fort Nelson mainline this summer will cost substantially more due to no terminal area in Chetwynd that would allow the pipe to be stockpiled at the railyard. Now it must be handled twice due to the real estate being sold off.
It can't be long before CN eliminates anything other than coal movement in the North. they aren'tinterested and without the terminal yards to work out of they can't really offer a reasonably priced alternative. It is certain that nobody can acuse Campbell of being a visionary.
 
They are expanding the CN yard in Prince George, for the far north's resources. They are expanding the CN yard in Ashcroft BC, where it was first said, was to store goods from China. I don't know if that's still on the go or not. I heard at one time, timber was to be stored at Lumby BC. However, Lumby is on the CP line, so not sure on that one. CN has the contract in Lumby, to switch the yard for the lumber mills, they had a contract with the CP, to use their line. There are many CN subs in small towns on CN lines, they can use for storage.

Wikileaks said, the N.A.U. is on the way. There will be, a lot of strange things going on, that will make no sense to us.

The dirty tar sands coming to BC by Enbridge, is also going to the U.S. by tanker. The U.S. suddenly changed their mind, regarding the dirty crude. I think that idea was there, right from day one. Canada will be the largest state of the U.S.

There was also talk of a huge aqua duct, to give the U.S. our clean drinking water. We already supply some of the states and Mexico with water.

At the rate Canada is polluting our lakes and rivers. Clean drinking water, will be more valuable than oil and gold. The entire huge Athabasca watershed, is now contaminated, by the dirty tar sands. Athabasca Lake has deformed fish. The mighty Athabasca River, now has heavy metals, mercury, and cancer causing agents. That's a hell of a lot of water to lose. All the wild life depending on the lake and river, will perish. Whatever, Harper and Campbell could care less. All they want is MONEY.
 
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