TRANSLINK CEO Kevin Desmond on Monday welcomed the bilateral funding agreement between B.C. and federal government, saying that this represents another milestone on the path toward a fully funded Phase Two of the Mayors’ 10-Year Vision.

He added that this agreement moved TransLink closer to being able to deliver a whole host of transit and transportation improvements which will keep the region livable for years to come.

He said: “It was just last month I was able to help announce Metro Vancouver mayors’ balanced formula for funding the regional share. Today’s agreement further secures the resources we need to deliver these much-needed transportation projects including light rail in Surrey, Millennium Line Broadway Extension and 420,000 additional hours of bus service.”

He noted: “Transit Ridership in Metro Vancouver has never been higher and with over one million more people coming to the region over the next three decades, we need to be prepared. Phase Two of the 10-Year Vision is an ambitious, forward-thinking road map which can keep people and goods moving. These projects will not only increase mobility in the region. Tens of thousands of jobs will be created as a result of construction and operations.

“Mobility is more than that. It’s also about saving one of our most precious resources: time. Instead of sitting in a car in traffic gridlock or waiting for a bus with room for one more to come by, we want people in this region to spend those minutes or hours at home with their families.”