New transit line will reduce congestion, improve mobility and create jobs
26 February 2009
VANCOUVER
Metro Vancouver residents will benefit from the construction of the new Evergreen Transit Line, thanks to a major new job-creating investment from the Government of Canada’s Building Canada Fund.
“The Evergreen Line demonstrates how our Government’s Economic Action Plan is working,” said Prime Minister Stephen Harper who joined Premier Gordon Campbell at the announcement. “In the short term, we are creating thousands of direct jobs in the Metro Vancouver economy. At the same time we are working together to ensure that the local families and businesses have access to an expanded, efficient and environmentally sustainable transit system that will help Vancouver attract and keep the jobs of the future.”
“The Evergreen Line will mean more than 8,000 direct and indirect jobs during construction as well as an expanded public transit system, new economic opportunities and improved quality of life in Metro Vancouver,” said Premier Campbell. “I want to thank the federal government for making this timely investment and partnering with us to create jobs and keep British Columbians working.”
The Evergreen Line Project involves the construction of a new 11-kilometre rapid transit line running from the Lougheed Town Centre in Burnaby to the Coquitlam Town Centre, via Port Moody. The system will use the same technology as the SkyTrain and be fully integrated into the existing system, linking directly to the Millennium Line, with connections to the Expo Line, the new Canada Line, the West Coast Express, and regional bus networks.
The Government of Canada has already provided $66.7 million for the Evergreen Line Project under the Public Transit Capital Trust announced in Budget 2008. Federal financial support of up to $350 million under the Building Canada Fund is conditional on definition of final project details by the Province, Treasury Board approval, and successful signing of a contribution agreement. The additional $350 million under the Building Canada Fund will flow after final project details are defined by the Province, a contribution agreement is executed, construction has begun and costs are incurred. The total construction cost of the Evergreen Line Project is projected to be $1.4 billion. The Province has committed $410 million to the project, and The South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink) has committed $400 million. Construction is expected to start in 2010 and be completed in 2014. The remaining $173 million will be funded by project partners, including a possible Public-Private Partnership and potentially through transit-oriented land development.
