On the campaign trail this fall, the BC Greens’ Jeremy Valeriote promised, if elected, to camp out in the transportation minister’s Victoria office until regional transit becomes a reality in the Sea to Sky.
With any luck, the corridor’s newly elected MLA won’t have to resort to that, with a focus on implementing regional transit in the Sea to Sky this year, a commitment that emerged out of the NDP and Greens’ cooperation deal signed last month.
“Given we’re committed to implementing it, the language is slightly wordy, but I’m optimistic that we can actually get some buses rolling by the end of the year,” Valeriote told Pique.
Signed Dec. 12, the Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord—which, with the Greens’ two votes, gives the NDP a razor-thin majority in the legislature—includes a commitment to implement “frequent, reliable, affordable regional transit” on key inter-regional routes on Vancouver Island, along with “a focus on Sea to Sky corridor transit in 2025.”
What the agreement didn’t include were details on how the coalition would fund and implement regional transit in the corridor. Despite years of lobbying from Sea to Sky and First Nations officials, successive B.C. governments have yet to agree on a funding model.
Valeriote suggested a fuel tax as one means, at least in the short term, to fund the service.
“I think the possibility of a fuel tax to get it started would work this time,” he said. “Really, it’s one of the only tried-and-true solutions, as we encourage people to buy less fuel and use more transit.”
The prospect of a fuel tax is not likely to sit well with some motorists in the Sea to Sky, who have for years took issue with gas prices here being comparable with Vancouver, despite residents there having to pay an 18.5-cent TransLink fuel tax that does not apply to the corridor.
Even still, Valeriote believes residents will be amenable to a tax if it means a long overdue regional transit route comes to pass.
“I think the only people that will suffer in this are the oil and gas companies that have made excess profits from the Sea to Sky for years,” he said.
Another question still to be answered is who will operate regional transit in the Sea to Sky.
“There are possibilities, including BC Transit, TransLink, and possibly trying to do a pilot with private operators,” explained Valeriote, who added there is still work to be done to prove there will be enough ridership to warrant a regional transit service.
“The [Squamish-Lillooet Regional District] has some money available for a bit of a demand study, but I think what we really need to do is get the buses on the road to prove the demand.”
Valeriote named interim leader of B.C. Greens
On Tuesday, Jan. 28, Valeriote was named as the BC Greens’ interim leader, replacing leader Sonia Furstenau, who announced she would be stepping down from the role after a decade in local and provincial politics.
“Sonia’s dedication to the people of B.C. has been steadfast. She has set a new standard for principled leadership and has been a beacon of hope and determination in B.C. politics,” Valeriote wrote in a release. “While her presence will be greatly missed, her legacy will guide us as we carry her vision forward.”
The party said Valeriote would step in as interim leader to “ensure a seamless transition and continuity of leadership” as the Greens finalize the timeline and details of its upcoming leadership race, which will be announced next month. Both Valeriote and fellow Green Rob Botterell, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands, told media Tuesday they would not be seeking the party's leadership. Expressions of interest for the leadership race are now being accepted at [email protected].
The move caps off an historic election campaign for Valeriote, the first ever Green candidate elected on the B.C. mainland. He joins Botterell as the only two Greens in the legislature.
