Whereas the City of New Westminster has recognized and has demonstrated over the past years its commitment to the health and well-being of its residents, and lack of transportation is one of the most common reasons for missing medical appointments and a significant barrier to social inclusion and labour market inclusion for low income adults and youth; And whereas the AllOnBoard campaign, concerned agencies in New Westminster and through-out Metro Vancouver, and directly impacted youth and adult community members have brought to the attention of the City of New Westminster the direct harm that is brought to them through the bad credit ratings they develop through fare evasion ticketing, as they cannot afford to pay the 173 fines received individually, or the resulting accrued TransLink debt from many unpaid fines; And whereas the City of New Westminster and other municipalities contribute to charities and non-profits which then out of necessity subsidize transit tickets for those who cannot afford to access crucial social services provided by the City of New Westminster and other municipalities, and sometimes pay off TransLink debt and fare evasion fines to TransLink and external collection agencies: Therefore be it resolved that the City of New Westminster endorse the AllOnBoard Campaign; the City write a letter to the TransLink Mayors Council on Regional Transportation, the TransLink Board of Directors, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction asking TransLink and BC Transit to work with the provincial government regarding funding and developing a plan that will provide free public transit for minors ages 0-18, and reduced price transit based on a sliding scale using the Market Basket Measure for all low-income people regardless of their demographic profile; And be it further resolved that the City write separate letters to the Mayors Council on Regional Transportation and to the TransLink Board of Directors asking them to 1 require TransLink and BC Transit to adopt a poverty reductionequity mandate in order to address the outstanding issue of lack of affordability measures to ensure those who need public transit the most can access the essential service of transit, and 2 to request TransLink and BC Transit to immediately and without delay amend existing by-laws and cease ticketing all and any minors for fare evasion as the first step towards the full implementation of free transit for children and youth 0-18, and allow low-income adults to access community service andor culturally appropriate restorative justice community service as an alternative to the financial penalty of a fare evasion ticket; And be it further resolved that the resolution regarding support for the AllOnBoard Campaign be forwarded for consideration at the 2018 LMLGA convention and subsequent UBCM convention.
