How to fill TransLink’s funding deficit and who will pay for it

Negotiations for who will fund TransLink’s looming $600 million operating deficit are coming down to the wire, with a legislative deadline for TransLink to adopt its investment plan by April 30.

The Mayors’ Council (one of TransLink’s governing bodies, made up of mayors from across Metro Vancouver) and the province have been discussing who will cover the funding gap to stave off what would be dramatic cuts to transit service across the region.

Who will pay is still up in the air, as all levels of government are grappling with tight budgets and bigger deficits.

“It's definitely a back and forth,” said Denis Agar, executive director of Movement, a grassroots regional organization advocating for transit users. “They're both concerned about their own bottom lines. But I think both earnestly do want transit to be good, and so it's just a matter of getting them both to feel comfortable with spending the money.” 

These negotiations are governed by a non-disclosure agreement, so it’s unknown what funding sources the parties are discussing, according to a Movement press release. But the Mayors’ Council has publicly called on both the provincial and federal governments to step in and cover the deficit.

“There’s always finger-pointing. Everybody wants some money from somebody else,” said Werner Antweiler, an economist and professor at UBC’s Sauder School of Business.

How transit is traditionally funded

Traditionally, provincial and federal governments stick to funding capital projects — like SkyTrain extensions — notday-to-day operating expenses, Antweiler said.

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