Skytrain extension... on time and on budget

The minister responsible for skytrain says even though critics have their doubts, skytrain will come in on budget. Joy MacPhail delivered this message today when she announced the awarding of the contract for the Skytrain extension.

SAR-Transit is the winner of a $209 million Skytrain contract. SAR will build 20 kilometres of elevated track between New Westminster and East Vancouver.

The Rapid Transit office is also going to implement 30 recommendations made in an independent review of the project. Joy MacPhail says this will help keep the Skytrain extension on time and on budget.

George Puil is chairman of the Greater Vancouver Transit Authority. He wants to know what exactly is in the $209-million contract. "I strongly suspect that their budget has cut out a lot of things. And what does it include and what doesn't it include. I have my doubts".

Demming Smith is another critic of the Skytrain extension. He points to delays in the start of construction and wonders how the project will be finished on time. He's also skeptical the extension will come in at or near its $1.1 billion budget. "This is not the rapid transit line that the region had been expecting. They might be able to build this little segment of it but that's not going to accomplish any transit objectives for us in the region".

Smith says central Coquitlam has to be included in any transit extension. That's one point George Puil and Joy MacPhail also agree on. The outstanding issue is funding.