I asked to interview TransLink’s new board chair, Don Rose, recently to get a sense of what course corrections the agency is making these days. A couple of days after I talked to him, former interim CEO Doug Allen’s confidential report on what’s right and wrong at TransLink got released through Freedom of Information.
That made for a lot of new material to ponder, as the agency tries to chart a new path this year. There will be change. It has four new board members — the two provincial appointees, plus two others, including former head Vancouver planner Larry Beasley. On the other hand, some things won’t change. In spite of what Allen suggested, the province won’t even consider a change in the overall way the agency is run (by an appointed board with a couple of mayor representatives).
My story here. Doug Allen’s report, sadly, is too large for me to post.
(A note: I wrote that Allen said the communications staff at TransLink discouraged the agency from speaking out during the plebiscite. Actually, it was the mayors’ council advisers.)
8 responses so far ↓
1 boohoo // Jan 27, 2016 at 2:28 pm
The public has no faith in translink. Right or wrong, for whatever reason, it is what it is. Until the Province blows it up and starts with something different, they won’t get the trust of the public. New managers, new board members, new fonts on their website or whatever won’t change that fact. Deck chairs on the titanic as they say, although in this case the Titanic is already sunk.
Unfortunately, the Province doesn’t want to and won’t do what’s necessary. The only real solution to the translink issue is to kick the Liberals out like we already should have done.
Not normally one to be pessimistic, but this is as bad as it gets.
2 A Taxpayer // Jan 27, 2016 at 4:06 pm
Wait a minute. Aren’t you the same person who was telling us that we should vote “Yes” in the Transit referendum and give Translink another $250 million of our money each year to play with and now, a few months later, you are calling for this same organization to be blown up and replaced with something different (whatever than means)? Perhaps I am mistaken and you sensibly voted “No”.
3 boohoo // Jan 27, 2016 at 4:16 pm
I haven’t lost faith in translink’s ability to plan and provide for a regional transit network. As noted numerous times they provide for one of the most efficient, cost effective systems anywhere. I voted yes on that basis and because we need improvements now.
I have however publicly questioned their idiotic PR moves here before–they continually do their best to shoot themselves in both feet on that front. And that has soured the public to the point where it doesn’t matter how well translink does their actual job, they have been painted with a certain brush and you cannot get that paint off without blowing it up. You can try painting over or applying wall paper which is what they keep trying, but it will never work.
What does blowing it up mean? I don’t know. But what they are doing, and what the province wants to keep doing isn’t going to work.
4 Lysenko's Nemesis // Jan 28, 2016 at 7:36 pm
After everything you say I’m sure glad I voted correctly, even if you made your tongue bleed.
5 Look Deeper // Jan 28, 2016 at 10:35 pm
Based on your note, Robertson and Hepner should be taking responsibility for the PR fiascos during the referendum. Of course, Robertson has spent so much time outside of Vancouver during the last year, one wonders how he knows what is going on here at all.
6 boohoo // Jan 29, 2016 at 7:09 am
I don’t even know what this means.
7 A Taxpayer // Jan 29, 2016 at 1:21 pm
It should come as no surprise that you do not know what others say means when you don’t know what you mean when you say that Translink should be blown up even though they are “one of the most efficient, cost effective systems anywhere.”
8 boohoo // Jan 29, 2016 at 1:48 pm
You just love to be contrarian don’t you.
You also know what I’m saying and are just trying to twist my words around to suit your agenda, whatever the hell it is. If you care to actually address my point, and I know you do know what it is, then have at er. If it’s just to poke holes in everything I’m saying for why ever the hell you do that for, then have a nice weekend.