Forget about the Evergreen Line. It seems TransLink's latest flight of fancy is a gondola that would transport students up Burnaby Mountain to SFU.

"This could be a green alternative," TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie told The Vancouver Sun. "What we really need to do is have a very serious look at the concept to see if there is a business plan for it."

We'll admit the idea is intriguing.

A 2.6-kilometre tramway based on the popular Peak 2 Peak Gondola that links Whistler and Blackcomb mountains would probably attract tourists to the area. It would also shave about six minutes off a typical 14-minute bus ride up the hill.

Buses, which frequently have trouble making it to the university in winter weather, could be taken off the route and used elsewhere, reducing diesel emissions.

But there's a problem: TransLink doesn't have a budget for this project.

In fact, TransLink doesn't even have the money to pay for its share of the Evergreen Line, a far more important project it has said for years is at the top of its list. So the fact that TransLink is now floating the idea of a tram makes us wonder just what is going on at the regional transportation authority.

While Tri-Cities residents deal with the reality of waiting year after year for a rapid transit line that never comes, TransLink is busy focusing on dream projects that distract public attention away from its so-called funding priorities. When it comes to the Evergreen Line, there's still a $574-million shortfall and no sign that either the provincial or federal government is ready to fill it.

With the idea of a federal election being floated for mid-April, maybe we'll see some federal funds then. On a provincial level, though, it's unlikely the Liberals will allocate precious cash to the Tri-Cities, where two of their MLAs already appear to have safe seats.

That leaves TransLink with the problem of how to deal with the $574-million funding gap needed to get the Evergreen Line underway. When you look at it that way, no wonder officials prefer to distract themselves with flights of fancy. Their reality is too harsh.

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