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16 - Sunday, December 21, 1997 - North Shore News

RANSPORTATION

A large majority of the board would be local government representatives.

“To ensure that the authority's services meet public needs and respond to
growth management, financial and other priorities of the GVRD and its
members, the authority would be required to:
® refer any increases to borrowing limits or increases to tax rates to member

municipalities for comment and to the GVRD board for ratification
® consult-with member municipalities, the GVRD and the Province on its
strategic, capital and service plans
' _® be consistant with the LRSP

WiTH ERE Be ENoucH Money To Do. THE Jos?

- The new authority would have to ensure that its expenditures can be
financed from the available revenue sources. It would not be able to run
a deficit. A preliminary analysis, now being reviewed by financial experts
from: municipalities and the private sector, indicates that the authority would
be able to expand transportation in its early years at a rate sufficient to meet
regional goals without any major increases in taxes, fares or other revenue
sources.To achieve all the transit goals by the year 2009 would require $190
million more than would be provided from existing sources.

The authority would have the ability to choose one or a combination of
the following options:

@ raise revenues from existing revenue sources, “including fares

@ introduce some form of vehicle charges

@ reduce costs through productivity improvements

@ reduce cosis by slowing the rate of transit expansion.

There would be no need to increase residential property taxes.

WANT To HEAR ERomM. ¥ou.
The GVRD board would like to hear the views of its member municipalities
and the public before it decides whether to ratify the recommended

agreement on February 27, 1998.

Tuere ARE Two Ways To Let Us KNow War You
Tuink OF THe PRoPposaAL:

1. Make a presentation at one of the public meetings.To register as a
presenter please phone 432-6339 or register at the event between 6:30
and 7 p.m. for evening meetings and between 9:30 and 10 a.m. for Saturday
meetings. Presentations should be kept to five minutes.

2. Send in a written submission to the GVRD Transportation and Strategic
Planning Committee. It can be mailed Yo Communications and
Education Department, 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, VSH 4G8, faxed to
432-6399, or e-mailed to kbutler@gvrd.bc.ca.The deadline for written
submissions is January 30, 1998.

ARE

We On BOARD

If the Provincial Government and the GVRD board ratify the agreement,
the government would introduce legislation to establish the new authority
at the spring 1998 session of the Legislature and the authority would begin
operations in early 1999. In the meantime, there would be immediate steps
to improve transportation, including orders for new buses, improvements
to bus shelters, improved transit information and extension of alternative
transportation programs supporting ridesharing and vanpoofling.

You are invited to attend a a publte meeting that will be hosted
by the Transportation and Strategic Planning Committee of
the GVRD. .

ect med

EVENINGS: 6:30 P.M. - 9 P.M.
Speaker registration 6:30 - 7 p.m.
Presentations 7 - 9 p.m.

January 7th: North Vancouver

Lonsdale Quay Hotel,123 Carrie Cates Court

january 8th: Port Moody

City Hall,100 Newport Drive

January ‘3th: Vancouver

Roundhouse Community Centre , 181 Roundhouse Mews
january 20th: New Westminster

Justice Institute, 715 McBride Boulevard

January 2ist: Richmond
Richmond Inn, 7551 Westminster Highway

January 28th: Langley
Langley Senior Resources Society, 20605 - 51B Avenue

SATURDAY MORNINGS: 9:30 A.M - NOON
Speaker registration 9:30 - 10 a.m.
Presentations 10 - noon

January 10th: Maple Ridge
Old Library,i1973 Haney Piace (Upper Level)

January 17th: North Delta
Pinewood Leisure Centre,11777 Pinewood Drive

For more information, cali 432-6339, or check the GVRD
web site at www.gyrd.be.ca/archive/planning/pr/tranpin.homl