Who will pay for the plan?
Since the province will be covering 100 per cent of the capital cost and two-thirds of the operating costs, municipalities will only have to pay one-third of the operating costs.
“That is very different than what you would normally see in transit systems across the province where the local contribution is much higher,” said Chris Fudge, Senior Regional Transit Manager for B.C. Transit.
In other transportation systems across the province, municipalities usually cover 50 per cent of the operating costs. Fudge says Hwy. 16 communities would pay even less than one third because the revenue from fares would offset some of the operating costs.
When asked how much this plan would cost for Burns Lake, Silas Brownsey, Executive Director for the Ministry of Transportation, explained that the costs will be shared among the communities in each segment, including First Nations communities. Once the plan is finalized, a Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako transit committee will determine how much each community will have to contribute.
Lakes District News asked the Village of Burns Lake if the village is prepared to pay for these costs and where the money would come from.
“That question has not been brought forward to council yet,” said Sheryl Worthing, Chief Administrative Officer for the Village of Burns Lake. “Council has, to date, supported the project but costs have not been discussed; as soon as the cost and fee structure are developed we will have a better idea of how it will be funded.”