Monthly reminder to the provincial government: it’s well past time for regional transit in the Sea to Sky
Helmut Manzl’s opinion piece, “Rolling the Sea to Sky transit boulder up the proverbial hill” [Published Dec 28, 2022], was thoughtful and thorough. It appropriately dramatized the long struggle to establish a regional transit service, describing it as ‘Sisyphean’ (e.g. pushing a boulder up a hill for the rest of eternity).
I didn’t see a lot of reaction to Mr. Manzl’s piece — maybe most Squamish news readers opted to maintain their holiday cheer by setting aside their frustration that governments are sometimes unable to get the most blatantly obvious things done.
Here we are, a few weeks later, and it’s time for our regular reminder to the kind folks running our province: it’s time for safe, reliable public transportation in the Sea to Sky Corridor.
Gas in the Lower Mainland includes a 12.5-cent tax to help fund TransLink.
We currently pay the same price — or more — for gas as Metro Vancouver, without the benefits of regional transit.
We should expect equitable services from the provincial government.
Public transit connecting Mt. Currie, Pemberton, Whistler, Squamish, Britannia, Furry Creek, Lions Bay, Horseshoe Bay, the North Shore and Vancouver is so clearly and urgently needed: it’s a multi-purpose solution that connects communities, reduces road congestion, tackles climate action, increases personal safety, and offers an accessible, affordable option for people to travel to work and play.
Local governments and First Nations have been advocating for regional transit for years, but don’t have the tools to do it on their own.
After a decade or more, regional transit is still stalled, with no action from the provincial government. Regional transit is an important element of an advanced, co-ordinated region, and it needs to happen now. It isn’t the magic bullet for all of our Highway 99 woes, but it will make a big difference.
So, public pressure is needed once again!
The BC Greens are asking Sea to Sky residents to sign an online petition expressing your strong support for regional transit in the Sea to Sky and write to those responsible for making it happen. We’ll keep reminding those who hold the keys to this game-changing public service every few weeks until we collectively get the job done.
Jeremy Valeriote was the BC Green candidate in the 2020 provincial election and is a director of the local West Vancouver-Sea to Sky BC Greens riding association.
