Improvements to the Canada Line, more frequent bus service and a B-Line bus from Brighouse Station to Burnaby's Metrotown are the likely major windfalls for Richmond residents from a potential 10-year, $7.5 billion regional transportation plan drawn up by Metro Vancouver mayors last month.
But whether these projects go ahead remains up in the air as the Mayor's Council and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure continue their game of pingpong on how to secure funding.
And for Richmond, moving forward, the biggest concern will be how the region disperses mobility (road) pricing - an increasingly popular idea.
As it stands, the mayor's plan would call for close to $4 billion in government funding from all levels of government, with the rest being made up for through increased ridership revenue and new regional fees (to be approved by a future referendum).
Last Friday, the council wrote to Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone to express frustration over Stone's apparent stonewalling of the initial plan, tabled in mid-June.
The council's letter noted: "the Province is abrogating its regional responsibility by not taking a more active and supportive role in its implementation of transit and transportation. ...It would appear that the Province has set a standard that is virtually impossible to meet."
Mayors also don't believe a referendum on new funding is "sound policy."
Stone has gone on record stating reallocating the existing carbon tax to TransLink, the regional transportation authority, is not an option.
In a letter, posted online on June 24, Stone also suggested asking the federal government for $1.5 billion may not be a salient option. He suggested increasing property taxes and noted he agreed with the mayors that mobility pricing is a likely scenario in the future.
So what does this all mean for Richmond if indeed the plan does go ahead?
Mayor Malcolm Brodie said, along with the new B-Line, the city could also benefit from increased bus service (at least every 15 minutes on major roads) and money for cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.
The plan also calls for Canada Line upgrades, such as more trains and expanded station platforms, but when asked about the single track between Lansdowne and Brighouse stations, Brodie noted it is an impediment to better service.
Although most of the proposed projects are for Surrey and Vancouver, Brodie said residents should expect to contribute just as much as anyone else living in the region. However, Brodie, doesn't want to see tolls on bridges alone. "Living on an island we have five (crossings). It does not seem right, no matter where we go outside of the city that we have to pay a toll," said Brodie.
He wants to see tolls strategically placed throughout the region to ensure long-distance drivers are paying proportionately more.
Meanwhile, Brodie and fellow city councillors (Coun. Harold Steves objecting) recently endorsed a preliminary set of objectives for the new bridge planned at the George Massey Tunnel.
Councillors want the bridge to have an HOV lane, bike path and room for rapid transit. It should also sport an "iconic" design.
Green Party member Michael Wolfe said moving forward with such objectives is tantamount to accepting the jet fuel facility on the Fraser River, something the city has stated it opposes. Brodie noted the city's hands remain relatively handcuffed by not only the province's decisions but also a limited amount of information being put forth by the Ministry.
"One of the main problems ...is we have very little information on it. The government has been very definitive in saying that's what it will be, a bridge. So for me, step one is to look at your objectives if there's going to be a bridge," he said.
