Businesses paying 'millions' for transit service they don't get, Langley Township argues

Langley Township takes on TransLink Langley Township council is taking on TransLink over the lack of services to one of the community's biggest industrial areas.

You’ll see plenty of cars in the Gloucester industrial area of Langley Township.

What you won’t see are buses.

“(Gloucester businesses) spend millions of dollars in taxes to TransLihnk every year, but they don’t have a single bus,” said Langley Township Mayor Eric Woodward.

Langley Township council is calling on TransLink to provide service – and if they won’t, Woodward said the money collected from businesses for the TransLink levy should be directed to the Township instead.

“We could keep that money here … and Township of Langley could then contract BC Transit to provide that service, just like they do in Abbotsford,” Woodward said.

Businesses have long been calling for transit in the Gloucester area, where there are more than 200 businesses that employ 15,000 workers.

“The closest bus stop to this industrial park is about eight kilometers away,” said Trevor Borland of Pacific Bolt Manufacturing.

“I think having no transit in this area is definitely a huge deterrent for employing people,” he said, explaining it means losing good potential employees.

“When we look for new employees, the first question we ask is, do you have a car? Because without a car there’s virtually no way to get here or make a shift,” he said.

Borland said businesses are tired of paying a levy for a service they don’t get.

“Our property tax is roughly $104,000 for an acre and a half of land. Of that, $8,000 is a transit levy directly to TransLink and we don’t get any services,” he said.

“This is no longer acceptable,” said Cory Redekop, CEO of the Langley Chamber of Commerce. “These industrial lands are huge economic drivers and they deserve to get transit service.”

“I’ve heard stories of people taking taxis, taking Ubers to try and get to work, and that’s just not a sustainable solution either,” Redekop explained.

In a statement to CTV News, a TransLink spokesperson said the organization works closely with the Township of Langley and has been in discussions with them on providing new transit services.

“We agree that there are limited transit services in the Township of Langley, but without senior government funding our Access for Everyone plan, it is difficult to service additional areas in the township,” the statement reads.

“TransLink continues to work with and listen to each municipal council and the Mayors’ Council to prioritize and provide services as best we are able within our resource and funding capabilities,” the spokesperson said.