Jericho Coalition opposes any federal government funding in November 4 budget for UBC SkyTrain Extension – says that taxpayers would only be subsidizing massive Jericho Lands luxury high-rise development without affordable housing

VANCOUVER—The Jericho Coalition today called on the federal government not to provide any funding in its November 4 budget for the proposed expensive UBC SkyTrain Extension project, saying taxpayers would only be subsidizing the massive Jericho Lands luxury high-rise development project that lacks any affordable housing.

“UBCx would add massive public debt to subsidize developers of luxury towers,” says Murray Hendren, a Jericho Coalition spokesperson.

The grassroots Jericho Coalition says the cost for the UBC SkyTrain line extension – like other major transit projects – will quickly spiral out of control, costing Vancouver, BC and Canadian taxpayers likely up to $10 billion they don’t have for a line built solely to subsidize massive concrete towers of up to 49-storeys and beyond in a development of 13,000 units for 28,000 residents – with no affordable housing guaranteed unless the MST Development Corporation receives additional funding from governments.

“The most rapid thing about the UBC SkyTrain extension is how rapidly it would take money out of taxpayers’ pockets,” says Hendren. “At a time when our economy is battered by U.S. tariff attacks and funding for social programs is at risk, why would the federal government commit billions it would have to borrow for a project that is too expensive and serves only a small part of the city when there are higher priorities in Metro Vancouver?”

“Taxpayers should be extremely nervous that the federal budget might contain billions in spending on this giant, unaffordable rapid transit project for more than $1 billion per kilometre at a time when we can least afford it and for a project that cannot exist without enormous taxpayer subsidies,” Hendren said.

“If the Mark Carney federal Liberal government promises new money for this unaffordable transit line, other parties should vote to remove that line from the budget,” Hendren said.

“We’ve already seen how much money North Shore taxpayers and indeed Metro Vancouver taxpayers are on the hook for with the wastewater treatment facility disaster – why should anyone here ask to pay thousands more over 20 years for a rapid transit line that most of them will never ride or see?” asked Hendren. “There are so many more urgent needs in Canada than for an up to $10 billion train that runs 7 kilometres to a university!”

The construction of UBCx would, in fact, hardwire the full and beyond build-out of the MST Development Corporation’s existing luxury skyscraper plan, as the City and the province would need to recoup the maximum amount of invested public money through fees developers pay the City, the Coalition says.

While the Jericho Coalition is entirely in favour of an improved public transport system to UBC (from various directions), it vehemently opposes UBCx due to its outrageous price tag.

The best chance for a less-dense, lower-tower development on the Jericho Lands is if UBCx is not built; the city has confirmed that the MST plan’s proposed height and density will be “revisited” in that case. Supporting UBCx while opposing the high-rise development plans on Jericho Lands would be inconsistent, as the two projects are intricately linked.

Hendren said that if the federal government instead wants to build affordable and social housing, it should look at the Jericho Coalition’s proposed alternative plan, with low- and medium-rise buildings constructed with wood and mass timber, rather than the MST proposal of 60 mostly concrete-and-steel high-rise towers. The Coalition alternative would see 7,200 units in courtyard buildings for about 16,000 people at a human scale, with more green space. It would make housing units less expensive for developers, potentially enabling more affordable housing.

The Coalition’s alternative plan doesn’t require a massive amount of public money to provide good public transport for people going to and from the Jericho Lands and UBC. A fraction of the likely up to $10 billion required for this UBC SkyTrain Extension project could be used to fund more affordable housing on UBC’s campus and improve public transport substantially by using less costly, more flexible, and surface-bound (and thus less carbon-intensive) public transport technology than the outdated and overpriced SkyTrain system.

BACKGROUND

The Jericho Coalition is a registered society representing concerned citizens opposing the current proposal for the Jericho Lands.  It consists of community members, including architects, engineers, planners, and environmentalists, who believe there is a better, more livable, and environmentally friendly way to develop the Jericho Lands site that better aligns with the accepted and approved guiding principles for this project.