RAV a `great opportunity lost"

Councillor says union lobby helped derail Richmond link

A Richmond city councillor believes union lobbying is behind the death of the RAV line.

Coun. Rob Howard said TransLink directors who voted to kill the project last Friday were influenced by union leaders fearful of seeing a successful public-private partnership, or P3, arrangement for the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver rapid transit project.

"What in the heck is the problem with having a partner put money in the project?" Howard said Monday, still bewildered by the 7-5 vote that shot down the project. "It's been through unprecedented peer review and studies. To throw the project out because it offers to bring somebody else's money into the equationthat is a mistake of gigantic proportions."

The estimated cost for the 19.5-kilometre RAV line was $1.5- to $1.7 billion, with $450 million coming from Ottawa and $300 million each from the province, Vancouver International Airport and TransLink respectively. It would have linked Richmond Centre, the airport and downtown Vancouver.

Two consortia were bidding for the project, and Friday's motion was to request the "best and final" offers from the two bidders.

Howard said unions oppose a P3 because it could limit their involvement in the construction, operation and maintenance of the system, and could pave the way for similar ventures in the future.

Vancouver councillors Chuck Cadman and Raymond Louie were among the TransLink directors who voted against the project proceeding to the best and final offer stage, as was North Vancouver City Mayor Barb Sharp.

Sharp had previously supported RAV, but switched her vote after seeing the confidential numbers from the two consortia bidding on the project. She said these costs were between $180- and $200 million more than the available funding.

Sources suggest bids were in the $1.6 billion range. Public funding commitments totalled $1.35 billion—requiring an additional $250 million from a private sector partner.

But Sharp said more public funding would have been required to make the project fly.

"Even with all the money, we still didn't have enough. It's too much taxpayers' money that we didn't have to spend."

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie said "based on estimates given to date, we don't have the funding required.

"(However,) there were strategies to reduce that funding shortfall."

But Brodie added that the next stage of the RAV process would have determined the final estimate, and he's confident the money would be found.

"We started out this process with very little commitment and we've been closing the gap throughout," he said. "I am confident there would be funding for the project."

Countered Sharp: "Or we may not. And we'd have to say `Sorry, we didn't mean it?'"

Sharp believes turning the project down at the next stage could cost tens of millions, despite a TransLink resolution limiting its liability to bidders to $3 million, total.

"There's a motion," Sharp said. "But there's lawyers. Make no mistake, we do want (the RAV line). I don't see why we can't. (But) It depends on what we choose."

Sharp believes TransLink can find lower cost alternatives to the original proposal that all TransLink directors can live with.

But if rapid transit is delayed indefinitely, Howard believes the alternatives are not attractive. Continue to rely on the 98 B-Line fast bus, which runs on diesel? Build new bridges?

"It's such a messy alternative plan B it's hardly worth thinking unless we've exhausted options for A."

Transit user Lilia Sy was sorry to see RAV die on Friday. She rides the 98 B-Line to work, but said it's "not fast enough." A rapid transit line would get more people out of their cars, she added.

"It's very convenient so more people would take (rapid transit)," she said.

Batol Fahimi commutes to work at 16th and Dunbar in Vancouver, and the journey already has her considering leaving town.

"I'm already thinking about moving," she said. "Every day about two hours of my time is wasted away."

Howard stopped short of saying he's optimistic that RAV will be revived.

"We really have to find a way to make this happen."

Richmond Chamber of Commerce president Gary Cohen characterizes Friday's decision as a "great opportunity lost."

Cohen predicts development in Richmond will slow as a result and congestion on major streets will only get worse.

If there's a silver lining, Cohen said it lies in the outcry that has followed the TransLink vote, to get the RAV project back on track.

"There's a lot of positive comments being made," Cohen said. "People are saying maybe we should re-think this."

TransLink meets next on May 19.