No quick fix for transit terminal funding shortfall
Posted Mar 15, 2011 05:14:35 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HRM’s transportation committee is trying to find an estimated $3 million to cover a budget shortfall for the bus terminal in Dartmouth.
After a lengthy meeting on Monday, the members decided they need more information and more discussion to make a recommendation so that another transit project isn’t cut completely.
A motion was put forward to axe the $5.4 million Lacewood terminal upgrade but after much discussion, it failed.
Several councillors suggested the money could come from snipping a bit from all the transit projects currently in the works or adjusting their timelines, from taking money from other capital budgets or by considering the impact of hikes to the general rate and transit tax.
Coun. Jennifer Watts (Connaught-Quinpool) eventually tabled a motion to cover all those elements, which passed.
She tells News 95.7 she hopes staff will be ready to present that information at their next meeting on March 24.
“It’s a terrible situation for the users of that terminal as well as for the staff,” she said. “I would hope that they would put everything into the detail that we need to have to be able to make potentially a recommendation to regional council on that.”
Coun. Barry Dalrymple (Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank,) who isn’t on the committee and is a strong supporter of the airport and Fall River transit service, says everyone should be willing to make sacrifices to projects in their district for the greater good.
“Can we all give a little bit? Can we all delay things maybe six months? Put them into a little bit in this budget year, a little bit in the next budget year,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about, compromise. Get as many of these transit issues moving forward as we possibly can.”
One other issue was unanimously agreed on.
Deputy Mayor Jim Smith asked everyone to make sure they refer to the terminal as the Nantucket terminal instead of the Dartmouth terminal.
