The Langleys have received more than $680,000 in gas tax revenue from the federal government and are plowing most of the funds into roadwork.
The City’s share, $275,000, will go towards projects that will cost a total of about $745,000 with the other funds coming from casino proceeds and the City’s capital works reserve.
The $275,000 is higher than in previous years.
“Typically, the City receives about $133,000 each year. In 2019, the federal government doubled the contribution and the City received $266,474. In 2020, we again anticipate receiving $133,000,” according to Samantha Paulson, City communications.
The projects include road rehabilitation of 203rd Street from Fraser Highway to Douglas Crescent, and Industrial Avenue in the area of 201A Street and 203rd Street. There will be sidewalk work on 200th Street near 62nd Avenue, a crosswalk added at Grade Crescent and 201A Street and another at 208th Street and 45A Avenue. The capital projects that will benefit from gas tax revenue also include a raised media being added for Grade Crescent and 208th Street.
So far municipalities aren’t seeing the impact of the switch to electric vehicles on gas tax revenue and can’t know what impact the reduced amount of driving during the coronavirus lock down phase will have on gas tax revenue.
“EV vehicles are constituting a small percentage of the vehicles on the road. As such, they may not have a significant effect on collecting gas taxes yet,” according to the City spokesperson.
• READ MORE: Electric vehicles to get a boost under Langley Township plan
Typically most of the gas tax revenue collected by the federal government goes to TransLink but some is distributed to municipalities based on population through the Community Works Fund.
The Township share is $406,083.63 for 2020. Typically municipalities receive the gas tax revenue as two payments, in July and December but it was done as a single payment this year due to COVID-19.
The Township has earmarked its funds for asset management software ($125,970). It will spend $264,098 of the revenue on arterial and collector road pavement overlay and reconstruction.
“The amounts we have received have fluctuated year over year but over the past few years have been between $368,000 and $406,000,” according to Township media relations.
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