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Gateway Transportation Investments
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Gateway Transportation Investments

The scale of investment needed for Gateway infrastructure is in the tens of billions of dollars over the short and medium terms. Nevertheless, these investments must be made to handle projected growth and improve the competitiveness of Canada’s international trade and tourism industries and industrial productivity. Additionally, major investments are needed in public transit.

Infrastructure and Transit

The Gateway Council believes that investments in transportation infrastructure and public transit must go hand in hand to realize our vision. Infrastructure investments are essential to accommodate growth in Gateway transportation on which the Region’s economy depends, while transit investments are necessary to curb growth in the numbers of automobiles on the road as the Region’s population expands. Both are needed to reduce road congestion and fuel consumption and cut emissions.

Where will the Money Come From?

The Gateway Council proposes a number of approaches to raise the necessary capital based on successful experiences elsewhere, including:

Agency Investments
The Federal and Provincial Governments, TransLink and the Members of the Greater Vancouver Gateway Council have recognized and agreed upon the need for a comprehensive infrastructure investment program for this Gateway. Our Airport, Sea Ports, Railways and Terminal Operators have committed hundreds of millions of dollars toward capacity expansions and are prepared to make additional investments in infrastructure to meet projected growth.

It is essential that both levels of Senior Government also recognize the need for and commit to a long-term funding program to ensure that this Gateway will be able to meet the growing demands as Canada’s Gateway to the Asia Pacific.

Tax Exempt Bond Financing
Tax exempt bond financing is used successfully in the US for transportation infrastructure financing. It provides access to new pools of private capital and can be achieved in Canada by minor changes to the Tax Act.

Public Private Partnerships (P3’s)
The Gateway Council endorses the use of P3’s wherever reasonable and feasible, such as those employed for the Canada Line rapid transit route and the Golden Ears Bridge.

Tolling
The Gateway Council is supportive of tolling and TDM measures where the additional costs to commercial carriers are offset by travel time savings.

Managing Demand

Consistent with the Gateway Council’s view that “we cannot build our way out of congestion,” the Council believes that the proposed MCTS infrastructure investments can meet the Region’s future transportation needs, when coupled with a number of aggressive demand management measures and tolling such as:

Discouraging Single Occupancy Vehicle use
Providing High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes
Prohibiting Parking on MCTS routes
Critical Incident Management
Residential and Commercial densification along rapid transit lines
Industrial land reserves