Valley Transportation Advisory Committee

The Year in Review

VALTAC successfully supported and congratulates Mayor Rick Green, Township of Langley, in obtaining the renewal of passenger rights for the 11km long, CP Rail portion of the BC Electric, interurban rail line through Langley. Passenger rights were due to lapse on August 29, 2009. The line would then have become exclusively controlled by CP’s heavy freight operations for the next 78 years without any compensation to the provincial taxpayer. In response to Mayor Green’s pressure, BC Hydro enacted the extension of passenger rights for a further 21 years.

Mayor Green has had to work almost single handedly to ensure that BC Hydro reserved the required extension. Now that these valuable rights are secure, Mayor Green has formed the South of Fraser Community Rail Task Force to demonstrate that an accessible, affordable, efficient, and sustainable community rail passenger service can be returned to serve the people of the Fraser Valley once again. Members of this task force include elected officials from Delta, White Rock, Surrey, City of Langley, Township of Langley and Abbotsford. Representatives from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Trinity Western University and the University of the Fraser Valley are also full voting members of the task force.

The South or Fraser region has always suffered from being highly susceptible to internal disagreements, competing priorities and misplaced egos. This is particularly true in areas such as the provision of transit and in planning for regional growth. Both provincial and federal politicians, understandably become frustrated and quite rightly ask the question.............tell us what you really want, as a region?..........rarely can anyone agree. If the truth is really told, this fractious nature has been exploited by those in the less diverse neighbouring regions who have found it all to easy to "divide and conquer". That is why the formation of a South Fraser Community Rail Task Force by Langley Township Mayor, Rick Green is all the more remarkable.

Working quietly with help from local community advocates, Mayor Green has formed a task force of elected representatives that includes Delta, Surrey, City of Langley, Township of Langley and Abbotsford. Each council has approved the appointment of one of its number to the task force. The South of Fraser Universities have also been invited to join this task group and confirmation is still awaited as to whether they will all take part. Some have already joined. The objective is to investigate how a community rail system can be developed from the existing underutilized rail corridors and available rights of way. The premise being that the existing rail corridor is a low cost opportunity that can stimulate development and be implemented without causing the massive disruption seen recently in Vancouver along the Cambie Street corridor.

This coalition is an essential tool to break the stranglehold that the North of Fraser and the City of Vancouver has had on available funds for transit investments. The stakes are high because should the South of Fraser fail to speak with one voice, we will see at least a further $4 billion spent on transit improvements in other less deserving parts of Metro Vancouver. Worse still that $4 billion will not represent value for money for the hard pressed Metro Vancouver tax payer.

Well done, South of Fraser municipalities and good luck.

Mayor Green reported on June 29th that he had received a response from BC Hydro that assured him that they would be maintaining their passenger rights over the section of the BCER rail corridor currently operated by CP Rail and Southern Rail of BC for heavy freight."This is good news" reported Mayor Green.

VALTAC will be watching closely to ensure that there are no surprises from BC Hydro in the ongoing process that could impact the province's (BC Hydro's) rights over this important section of rail line.