The government of British Columbia accepts the recommendations released today by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) about the procurement process and financial guidelines of the Evergreen Line rapid transit project, and thanks his office for the work they have done.

The audit covered three main themes and included seven recommendations to strengthen some planning processes for major projects and to improve performance measurement frameworks and administrative reporting. Government is taking steps to implement the recommendations immediately.

The audit concludes that there is an extensive body of work that supports the decision to build the Evergreen Line using SkyTrain technology. The OAG report recognizes that the procurement choice of a Design Build Finance model was the best choice for the project.

The report also recognizes that stakeholder consultation has been reflected and that a management framework was in place for the successful procurement of the project. In addition, the audit recognizes that government's analysis of procurement costs, benefits and risks have been rigorously assessed and verified.

Quote:

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Mary Polak -

"The Evergreen Line has been studied and reviewed extensively for years by multiple levels of government and transit experts. We are confident that the Evergreen Line can achieve ridership projections as we have seen with the popularity of the Millennium Line and Canada Line where ridership has met or exceeded projections."

Quick Facts:

• The Evergreen Line is a $1.43-billion project and major construction is underway.

• Opening in summer 2016, it will link the communities of Port Moody and Coquitlam with the existing Millennium Line SkyTrain in Metro Vancouver.

• Once complete Metro Vancouver will have the longest rapid transit network in Canada.

Learn More:

www.evergreenline.gov.bc.ca

Contact:

Kate Trotter
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 356-8241