NDP vow to replace Pattullo immediately

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The BC NDP is focusing on its promise to replace the aging Pattullo Bridge immediately if the party wins May’s election.

Party Leader John Horgan says one of his first transit priorities will be to work with the mayor’s council to start construction on a replacement.

“By 2023, drivers won’t be able to use (the Pattullo Bridge),” Horgan says. “Replacing the bridge is a key part of phase two of the mayors’ plan and if we don’t get working on it now, it’ll be too late.”

He says the money would be included in his promise to provide $300 million a year for 10 years to complete the mayors’ transit plan, but wouldn’t estimate on the exact cost to replace the bridge.

The Pattullo replacement has been pegged at $1 billion, according to New Westminster Mayor and TransLink Mayors Council’s funding-strategy committee chair Jonathan Côté.

While both the BC Liberals and BC NDP have committed to match federal funding and pay for 40 per cent of the total capital costs of the mayors’ plan, the Liberals platform does not commit to replacing the aging bridge to New Westminster.

Horgan also reiterated his party’s commitment to build Surrey’s $2.14 billion light rapid transit line and Vancouver’s $1.98 billion Broadway subway expansion.

New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Côté says the announcement is great news for his city.

However, with the NDP also promising to eliminate bridge tolls, he says they would still need to figure out how to recoup the cost of the bridge.

“We were anticipating that more than half the cost of the new bridge was going to be covered by tolls. Any change in provincial policy, no doubt, has an impact… if the provincial government is able to make up that shortfall then we should be able to move forward, but if not, we could end up with problems.”

Cote doesn’t expect the bridge construction to delay other projects like a Surrey LRT or Broadway SkyTrain.

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