Double the property tax!


If you can afford a 1.5 million dump in East Van you can afford the higher taxes

Instead of more taxes to the public, why don't they get creative and try things like a lottery. $5 scratch and win that could win you monthly passes, fare books and of course monetary prizes.

+1 Tapioca

Most people who take transit make under 100K, so of course they go into shock when they see translink executives salaries. That is reasonable for a company this size, and a lot cheaper compared to industry as they have no stock options.

Translink is also audited by KPMG I believe. Aside from the compass disaster, I think translink is well run given their restraints

If translink was not forced to service unprofitable routes they would be raking in profits.

Also I think Vancouver should raise its property taxes.. it is one of the cheapest in the lower mainland.

But then people will whine about that too.

I don't know if you know how much money an exec level job makes.

$500K for a CEO of a organization with an operating budget of $1.6B which runs the most effective transportation system in Canada and one of the best in North America is not an unreasonable amount.

I'm not advocating million dollar salaries but considering what I make as a middle manager in a tech company and what I know others a level or two up from me make I can't at all say these Translink guys are overpaid.

Audits are not the same as being held publicly held accountable to a similar level as other crown corporations such as BC Hydro and ICBC.

You expect a bunch of accountants to be able to tell you that Translink is being operated efficiently and that decisions are being made properly? All they look at are the numbers and give opinions on stretching out amortization rates.

^ You're talking about 2 different things. Audits ensure that money is accounted for and that there are no irregularities with respect to expenditures.

In terms of efficiency and the "correct decisions", well those are up for debate. But whose should determine how efficient decisions are made? Technocrats, experts, etc who understand public transit? Or the general public who don't have the expertise, the experience, nor the resources?

You could hire an "efficiency" expert or some sort of ombudsperson, but those would cost more money and add more red tape to an already bloated public organization.

I offered to take on the CEO job for a piddly $60k/year, but they didn't want me. I mean sure, I have zero experience for the job, but I'm a people person and I don't hate riding the bus, and I'd be a helluva lot cheaper than even the middle management. I mean, the salary is all that matters when it comes to a CEO, right? At least that's the impression I get from threads like this - experience, skill, knowledge, none of that matters as long as you get someone cheap.

Lost out on the BC Ferries CEO position too... same issue. Stupid bean counters.

Totally agree with you. For BCHydro and ICBC (and perhaps even BC Ferries), there are public hearings on spending prudency as well as expansion plans - semi-judicial process with advocacy groups representing certain segments of the population (hiring experts to push their points across, etc.). it totally adds a layer of bureaucracy and added expenditures; but I think it's necessary so ensure that things are out in the open for these monopolistic crown corporations - transparency and accountability. FortisBC is also subject to the same public hearing process.

BTW: The Mayors were right when they said that a No vote was a Yes vote for more air pollution. Gregor Robertson has way more power than we imagined, he is raining down his wrath on all of us for the No vote.

We are getting the air pollution we deserve, not the air pollution we need!

Riding transit is for the lowest common denominator


Seriously cannot stand the average person

and you are better than the "average person"?

Says the guy who rides a bike. Biking is for those who can't afford a car...


Fuckin' newb.

Public hearings are one of those ideas that is well-intended, but one that is not so great in practice. The problem is that most people don't have the interest nor time to attend one, so what you end up getting is special interest groups who have the time to attend these things. Why should the interests of these groups prevail over those of the general public?

It's important for a public organization to be in touch with its clients, but I would argue there are far more effective ways to achieve this. For starters, senior executives should ride the system on a weekly basis. Second, Translink needs to beef up its social media/analytics team. Hire a bunch of pimply-faced, fresh out of university grads at 30K/year with benefits and have them do social media monitoring and analysis.

Funny thing is, I've been hearing this (and agreed with this) for decades... yet now we have a CEO, Doug Allen, who DOES do this... and nobody talks about it. Instead, he gets shit on for arriving to an impromptu presser in a vehicle, then leaving again in the same vehicle, as if he didn't have a hundred other places to be.

^ Yes, good point.

He should get on Twitter/Instagram and promote himself doing it. Eventually, the media will pick up on it. He will of course have to deal with the trolls, but such are the responsibilities of being in public life.

One CKNW reporter actually did a "ride-along" with him on the bus one morning, just after he started... so the media do know about it, just nobody makes a big deal over it. Would be great if he (or the next CEO) were to institute a rule that all execs must ride the system at least one day a month (once a week would be even better), although that would probably cause an issue with most of their contracts.

But yeah, if he was on Twitter and tweeted something from his ride every time, it would certainly gain some visibility.

turns out standing up to translink worked and they magically found 125-million dollars!

I told you so: CTF says it knew TransLink could contribute to transit funding - NEWS 1130

Anyone else curious as to where translink owns 125 million worth of land they can just dump at the drop of a hat?

maybe they invested funds wisely and did some shadow flipping Kappa

Translink need to buy out huge lands in projected stations and build condos, malls, etc and rent them out for extra income

Oakridge Bus Depot

They just solicited bids for it

If they held on for a little longer maybe it'll be 200m lol

^ i was just about to say. that hunk of land is almost a literal goldmine for them, especially since they have that bus barn on marine.