VANCOUVER: TransLink Mayors’ predictions of massive congestion if the TransLink tax plebiscite fails are proven false by their own statistics, the No TransLink Tax campaign pointed out today.

The YES side's own numbers show their plan will only reduce the number of cars on the road by an imperceptible 1.5%. As noted in Appendix C-7 of the TransLink Mayors’ plan, the difference between a YES vote and a NO vote is just 23,571 of 1.5 million cars expected in the Lower Mainland in 2030.

Even in the year 2045, after 30 years of potentially paying the TransLink sales tax, the difference in car ownership between a YES vote and NO vote is just 37,711 of 1.7 million cars – 2.2 per cent less.

“The next time you find yourself in traffic with 66 other cars, ask yourself this: ‘Is it worth $258 per year for me to get rid of one of them?’ That’s what the TransLink Mayors are asking you to do,” said Jordan Bateman, spokesperson for the No TransLink Tax campaign. “Doomsday prophesies of traffic snarls for years are simply fear-mongering by Mayors desperate to bloat TransLink’s annual budget.”

With the TransLink Mayors’ $250 million annual tax grab spread across 968,000 households in the Lower Mainland, the tax bill for an average household will increase by $258 per year in both direct tax and hidden cost increases passed along by businesses.

“The biggest difference between a Yes and No vote is that a No vote will save households an average of $258 per year,” said Bateman. “After all, Mayor Linda Hepner has said she has a Plan B for Surrey light rail, and TransLink itself has said the tolled Pattullo Bridge replacement will go ahead no matter the vote outcome.

“Even if you support the TransLink Mayors’ wish list and are willing to overlook TransLink’s wasteful record, there are many other, better options to pay for it.”

The No TransLink Tax campaign website can be found at www.notranslinktax.ca. See the attached infographic for more: