TRANSLINK TO BUY THIRD SEABUS; B.C. PROVIDES $4.8M

NORTH VANCOUVER – TransLink has signed an agreement with the Washington Marine Group to build a third SeaBus, and the Province of British Columbia is providing $4.8 million towards the project, TransLink chair Dale Parker and Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon announced today at the North Vancouver SeaBus terminal.

SeaBuses are aluminum catamarans that can hold up to 400 passengers each trip. The new SeaBus will cost $25 million, and will be built at the Washington Marine Group shipyards in Victoria.

The third SeaBus will mean more frequent trips across Burrard Inlet for travellers, every 10 minutes at peak travel times compared to the current schedule of every 15 minutes at peak times. It will be completed in the summer of 2009 and will first replace one of the two older vessels as it is refurbished and updated. All three vessels will be sailing across Burrard Inlet by early 2010.

“The SeaBus is a smart and efficient mode of public transit for an ocean region like Metro Vancouver,” said Falcon. “This new SeaBus will help reduce traffic and greenhouse gas emissions, which is a key goal of the provincial government’s $14-billion Transit Plan.”

“This announcement signals the fulfilment of another piece in TransLink’s current strategic transportation plan, which has seen $1.4 billion in improvements to Metro Vancouver’s transportation network over the past three years,” said TransLink board chair Dale Parker. “The Province’s contribution is a great development because it demonstrates the commitment Premier Campbell and Minister Falcon have made to move forward with a massive expansion of our transit system for our region.”

“As our community expands, we need to make sure we make the necessary improvements to our transportation networks,” said West Vancouver-Capilano MLA Ralph Sultan. “A third SeaBus will now allow a larger portion of the community to commute to and from the North Shore.”

“This addition provides so much opportunity for our city,” said North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA Katherine Whittred. “Not only are we expanding the transportation services but we are also providing a more environmentally friendly transportation option for our commuters.”

“To finally see this third bus added to the fleet is a huge plus for the North Shore,” said North Vancouver-Seymour MLA Daniel Jarvis. “We are increasing the capabilities of our transit system which will make life a lot easier for those who rely on the SeaBuses.”

“The SeaBus serves such a wide group here on the North Shore,” said West Vancouver-Garibaldi MLA Joan McIntyre. “We are now offering these residents a more convenient option for crossing the Burrard Inlet.”

The provincial funding announced today is from the Provincial Transit Plan, which aims to double transit ridership provincewide by 2020 by increasing choices for travellers. The $14-billion plan also focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars by 4.7 millions tonnes cumulatively by 2020.

The current SeaBus schedule is every 15 minutes during peak travel times and every 30 minutes on off-hours. The service runs from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m., six days a week, and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sundays and holidays.

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Media contact:	Jeff Knight Public Affairs Bureau Ministry of Transportation 250 356-7707	Peter Louwe Communications TransLink 604 216-3212

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