The Evergreen line gets closer

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced yesterday that Ottawa would commit an extra $350 million for the Evergreen Line to Port Moody and Coquitlam. I have mixed feelings about this. Will it impact the quality of life in Port Moody and will it provide a direct line for those using our city as a shopping centre for car and household thefts? I’m not sure and I’m hoping that won’t be the case but I look at other SkyTrain stations and their see their impact on local residents and businesses. Scary stuff.

$410 million has been pledged by the province and $400 million is supposed to come from TransLink (which doesn’t have the money available as yet). Overall it still leaves the project with a $173 million shortfall which our Transportation Minister advises may be funded through a public-private partnership or transit-oriented land development.

I have an appointment on March 12 to talk with Mayor Trasolini for the aprilroad.com podcast and will ask him his thoughts on the Evergreen Line’s impact on Port Moody. It should be interesting.