Residents of Metro Vancouver have rejected a half-per-cent sales tax to fund $7.5 billion in transportation upgrades.
The Transit Plebiscite Results are:
% of valid votes voting Yes-38.32%
% of valid votes voting No-61.68%
The Question was: Do you support a new 0.5% Metro Vancouver Congestion Improvement Tax, to be dedicated to the Mayors' Council transportation and transit plan?
The Surrey Board of Trade, its Directors and Transportation Team, will work with the City of Surrey, the Province and the Federal Government’s, and other partners to ensure that Surrey gets the Transportation and Transit improvements that it needs.
“Transportation, in addition to Education, is a key foundation of driving an economy”, said Anita Huberman, CEO Surrey Board of Trade.
Further, the Mayors’ Council will now have to discuss what options are available to them. The Mayor’s need to continue working collaboratively with the provincial government.
“Surrey is a strategic economic area for this province. Light Rail Transit (LRT) and other projects will remain a key priority for the Surrey Board of Trade”, said Anita Huberman, CEO Surrey Board of Trade.
If the tax would have passed, these monies would have been used to pay for more buses, roads, a new Pattullo Bridge and a light rail line, transit exchanges, increased SkyTrain, West Coast Express and SeaBus service and new bikeways.
For the full Results go to: http://electionsbcenr.blob.core.windows.net/electionsbcenr/results.html
