After the federal budget came down with minimal funding for transit earlier this week, the B.C. government announced Wednesday it is investing $300 million into transit in the Lower Mainland.
The government explained the money will go towards buying more buses and expanding service frequently on 60 routes in the region.
“This means, that for people using the SeaBus, bus, and SkyTrain service throughout the region on any given day, we will be able to announce significant service improvements starting this fall in September,” Minister Rob Fleming said Wednesday.
“We will have better and longer hours of service so people aren’t bypassed on full buses,” he added.
The new capital funding will help TransLink complete its 2024 Investment plan, Fleming explained. In turn, TransLink will be increasing services immediately using the remaining funds from the $479 million the province gave the transit provider in 2023.
“The Province is working with TransLink to solve the region’s most pressing transportation challenges in response to the unprecedented regional growth. Funding public transit means people can choose cleaner and more affordable ways to travel in the region now and for years to come,” Fleming said.
The province explained HandyDART services will also see improved late-evening availability.
The funding comes after the TransLink Mayors’ Council has rung the alarm repeatedly over the last year, with claims of underfunding and under-resourcing as the region sees massive population growth.
The council chair, Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West shared in February that he was disappointed to see a lack of new transit projects outlined for Metro Vancouver in the province’s 2024 budget.
West said at that time that if TransLink didn’t get more funding soon, it would have to look at service cuts starting in 2026.
Fleming shared Wednesday that the $300 million in funding will not just stabilize TransLink’s services, it will expand on the frequency.
However, the funding will not change the 2.3 per cent increase in fares that are slated to come into effect July 1.
“We do have big financial challenges; I don’t want to shy away from that,” Fleming said. “The fact is, through provincial funding, and through things like fare increases that we’re doing, we are able to keep service levels where we are at right now through the end of 2025.
“But following that, we do need to have a serious conversation … We have funding challenges that we need to solve.”