Editor:

It is not often I am compelled to write a letter to the editor, but it is necessary to correct inaccurate information from Mr.Wimpney's letter that appeared in the Oct. 19 edition of the Times.

Chilliwack council supports transit, but before we move forward with any particular type of regional transit, we require more information.

Sustainable transit is an issue that every single city in this province is grappling with, not just Chilliwack. While a light rail system for the Valley would be wonderful, council cannot support this proposal until we know where the capital and operating funding will come from. One of the issues that causes us concern is the cost of upgrading 11 of the 15 road crossings to accommodate passengers. The city was fortunate enough to work together with Transport Canada and secure an 80 per cent grant for the rail signal upgrade at Upper Prairie Road and CN; this reduced the city portion to an almost manageable amount. Unlike the CN line, the Southern Rail line is not a federally regulated rail system, so it is not eligible for Transport Canada grants. As a result, rail crossing signal upgrades must be funded by the local community.

Funding is something that should concern all taxpayers. If the light rail proposal is successful, it is you, the taxpayer, who will pay the cost of the system. There are no systems that pay for themselves with ridership alone. While the most recent report on light rail does not include projected ridership numbers, recent travel data find 87 per cent of daily trips that start in Chilliwack stay in Chilliwack, 10 per cent start in Chilliwack and end in Abbotsford and three per cent start in Chilliwack and end west of Abbotsford. At City Hall, we are very eager for the release of the results of the Fraser Valley transit study, so that we have more information about the potential use of a regional transit system.

Chilliwack council would love to have an unlimited supply of funds to put towards the numerous worthy proposals and initiatives we receive from dedicated members of our community. Unfortunately there is no money pot, so we are tasked with making the decisions we think will have the biggest and best impact for our residents with the limited amount of funds we do have. Council cannot make an informed decision without having all the information available.

I like the idea of having light rail in the Valley and I have an open mind for every transit option presented to council. However, until there is more information presented about the sustainability of such a system, I'm afraid I'll have to stay relatively silent on the matter.

Sharon Gaetz

Mayor