The “Yes” campaign for the proposed congestion improvement tax is expected to roll out its campaign this week.
The Better Transit and Transportation Coalition will be running a significant amount of advertising, as well as hosting discussions and getting in front of as many audiences as possible.
The campaign is starting from a challenging position. While early polls suggested that many people who had already made their minds up supported the proposed 0.5 per cent sales tax, later polls indicated that support to be slipping a bit. The two sides are believed to be close to even — with many people still making up their minds.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for the “yes” side is to convince undecided voters of the merits of giving more money to TransLink, given its litany of cost containment issues and unresolved problems, such as the Compass Card roll-out and increasing breakdowns of SkyTrain.
Here in Langley, business owners have raised the possibility of an increasing number of shoppers fleeing to Abbotsford or the United States due to the higher sales tax. While the fears about the U.S. are being eased every time the Canadian dollar falls, the fears about Abbotsford are legitimate and real. A large shopping centre is located just 10 minutes east of the Langley boundary, and significantly lower gas prices in Abbotsford already attract a large number of Langley motorists.
Aldergrove retailers, in particular, have a lot to lose and absolutely nothing to gain from a higher sales tax that will do nothing to improve bus service in the eastern half of Langley Township.
The provincial government has stated that the new tax will apply to the same goods and services as the PST. It seems likely it will also apply to residents of Metro Vancouver who buy large items, such as cars and motorcycles, which have to be registered — even if they are bought outside the Metro Vancouver region.
There are some positives for Langley in the plan to increase transit services, notably in new B-Line bus routes, additional local services (badly needed in Willoughby right now) and the eventual building of an LRT line into Langley City.
However, all of these will benefit people living in the urbanized areas of the City and Township, and do nothing to improve transit service for other Langley residents.
It may be a lost cause for the “yes” campaigners to try and convince a majority of Langley residents to back the new tax, However, it won’t matter if enough residents from other areas are willing to vote “yes.”
