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Site last updated: November 30, 2009

TransLink Commission

info@translinkcommission.org

Opportunity to Comment by November 30 2009

TransLink has applied to the Commission for approval to charge a $2.50 “Canada Line YVR Add Fare” starting January 1 2010 to passengers travelling between Bridgeport and Templeton Canada Line stations in either direction, in addition to the applicable zone fare for travel to Richmond. See below for background to this application.

Here is a Question and Answer paper (a 13-page pdf file) on TransLink’s application.

Before making any decision the Commission will consider all written comments from the public.

How to Comment

Please write to the Commissioner at comments@translinkcommission.org, or by Canada Post to: TransLink Commission, P.O. Box 1497, Comox, B.C., V9M 8A2.  Please send your comments by 30 November 2009.

TransLink has also applied to increase the price of books of ten FareSaver tickets starting April 1 2010. You may wish to comment on this as well. For more information, see the page proposed Fare Increases on this web site. 

The Process

On 23 October 2009 the Mayors’ Council approved supplementary fares (within a TransLink 10-year plan called Funding Stabilization). One of these is the proposed “Canada Line YVR Add Fare”. TransLink cannot charge passengers this fare without the further approval of the Commission. TransLink applied for this on 29 October 2009. Here is the TransLink application for the YVR Add Fare (a 2 page PDF file). Shortly afterward, on 30 October TransLink another supplementary fare increase at the same time.

Under the SCBCTA Act, after 30 days for public comment, the Commission may decide to hold a public hearing.  In its final decision on whether to approve the fare, the Commission must weigh four considerations:

• maintain financial stability of TransLink;

• allow TransLink to provide planned services;

• encourage TransLink to minimize expenses; and

• keep fares as low as possible.

Here is a summary time-line diagram of the process (a one-page PDF file).  For further detail, here is an external link to the relevant section 223 of the SCBCTA Act.

Background on the Canada Line YVR Add Fare

Five years ago, TransLink proposed an Airport Special Zone Fare to help fund the Canada Line, then at the planning stage. The TransLink Board approved the new fare in 2004. The fare would:

• be levied for trips to and from Sea Island (on which Vancouver Airport sits) via an “add-fare”;

• target air passengers who would be receiving a significant benefit from the Canada Line – the alternatives being Taxi (then $24), Airporter (then $12) or Airport Parking;

• yield an estimated incremental ridership revenue to TransLink of $3.3M (in 2003 dollars) per annum, growing with ridership;

• be adjusted from time to time within a range of $2 to $4 (in 2003 dollars).

The above approval was given before the amending legislation of 2007 which created the Mayors’ Council and an appointed board of directors for TransLink.

In April 2009, before the Canada Line was put into service, TransLink asked the Commission to determine whether a YVR Add Fare was a decision of a previous board that did not require additional approval.  The Commission found that, as far as it was concerned, this was indeed the case (as detailed in Commission Order 09-01 of 30 April 2009).

Nonetheless TransLink, possibly acting with an abundance of caution, subsequently included the YVR Add Fare in the Funding Stabilization Supplement for approval by the Mayors’ Council, drawing it into a further approval process under the 2007 SCBCTA Act. While awaiting new approvals, the TransLink has not charged the YVR Add Fare to passengers since the Canada Line began operating.