The public has until the end of the year to comment on BC Ferries’ latest submissions to the ferries commissioner, and Route 3 ferry advisory committee chair Barry Cavens is urging Sunshine Coast residents to weigh in.
“The bottom line is what comes out of this process will impact fares and services in the years 2016 to 2020, and the government and BC Ferries should look at the impact of this on the community,” Cavens said Monday.
Available on the BC Ferry Commission website at www.bcfer rycommission.com, the documents include BC Ferries’ submission for the next performance term ending March 31, 2020 (PT4), its 10-year capital plan and its efficiency plan for PT4 and beyond.
The PT4 document will be used by the ferries commissioner to set preliminary price caps at the end of March 2015, with final price caps announced the following September.
Under the heading of financial performance, the PT4 submission notes that BC Ferries has not only overcome a projected revenue shortfall, “but is forecasting to exceed the performance target set by the commissioner, resulting in an improvement to net earnings of $58 million over the term. This results in a stronger financial position for the company, which in turn, reduces pressure on PT4 price cap requirements.”
The 10-year capital plan lists the Langdale terminal upgrade as a significant capital expenditure that “addresses the functional requirements and resolves many key safety and operational issues with a planning horizon of 25 years.”
However, the document says BC Ferries will revisit the Langdale terminal master plan “in the context of potential revised service arising from the major routes strategy.”
The catalyst for the major routes strategy, outlined in the efficiency plan, is the capital investment “related to replacing and improving significant components of the Horseshoe Bay terminal infrastructure over the next 10 years.”
Estimated at more than $200 million, the Horseshoe Bay terminal construction plan “poses significant business interruption risk to the three routes served from Horseshoe Bay,” the plan warns.
The strategy will also help guide BC Ferries’ vessel replacement program for six major-route ferries over the next 15 years.
Last month, Cavens said BC Ferries had suggested looking at eventually replacing the Queen of Surrey with a smaller vessel that could possibly serve Route 3 on an hourly schedule.
Route 3 ferry advisory committee members and BC Ferries officials were set to meet today (Oct. 24) from 1 to 3 p.m. in the community meeting room at the District of Sechelt offices. The meeting is open to the public.
Meanwhile, in a separate process, the province is taking comments until Dec. 12 on its 10-year transportation plan, dubbed B.C. on the Move.
Cavens noted Transportation Minister Todd Stone recently said in Sechelt that his department would study the feasibility of a highway link to Squamish if the community deemed it a priority. The current engagement process, Cavens said, is an opportunity to make that request and also to push for affordable ferry fares.
If the province does not receive input from the public, he said, “do they make the conclusion that everything they’re doing is right?”
The discussion guide for the 10-year plan is at http://engage.gov.bc.ca/transportationplan/.