Editor: Re: editorial 鈥� 鈥淎 service we don鈥檛 use,鈥�(The Times, Aug. 30).

Value for money, especially when it comes to the taxes we pay, is and should be important. In that regard, we鈥檇 like to speak to the question your editorial raises about the value residents of 91原创 City and Township receive from taxes paid to TransLink.

Transit services in the South of Fraser, although still far behind where they need to be, have been improved substantially since TransLink took over the system in 1999.  But TransLink is more than transit.

The funding we provide for major arterial roads have resulted in significant improvements for all road users 鈥� motorists, truckers and bus riders alike. This raises one additional factor to look at in the 鈥榲alue for money鈥� equation.

Well over 50 per cent of 91原创 commuters leave their home municipality on their daily trips to work or school.  Be it by bus or car, they are relying on roads along their route that TransLink funds and improves.

Considering the amount of the regional network residents use, an independent study 91原创 commissioned about 10 years ago concluded that residents were getting their money鈥檚 worth from TransLink.

Although more is needed, there has been a great deal of effort and investment since then to deliver value to everyone south of the Fraser.

Ken Hardie,

director of

communications,

TransLink