As the inevitability of a federal election begins to sink in to a weary Canadian electorate, the prospect of campaign commitments for investment in transportation infrastructure is top of mind for municipal officials across the country. This is especially so for the 22 member municipalities of Metro Vancouver, who have been hit with Translink’s recent ultimatum and the prospect of severe cutbacks in existing service levels (nevermind future needs).
Metro Vancouver's Mayors would be well advised to collectively strategize their lobbying efforts during the upcoming federal election campaign
So when considering the two parties that have a chance at forming government, who is going to step up to the plate?
Here is Michael Ignatieff from a rally in Surrey last Friday, gushing about the Canada Line and the need to think ahead when investing in regional transportation infrastructure:
And here is Stephen Harper making the funding announcement for the Evergreen Line back in February:
In terms of recent politicking, Ignatieff and the Liberals seem poised to use transportation as an anchor policy position, particularly when it comes to BC and their targeted Metro Vancouver ridings.
The Harper administration is also currently in the mindset of getting dollars out the door for infrastructure projects (in theory, at least), although less specifically targeted towards transportation initiatives.
Watch for our next post, which will deal with some of the positioning that the municipalities should consider if their efforts towards agenda setting are to be impactful.
