1 week Ago By The Canadian Press
VANCOUVER - TransLink is proposing a plan to improve its services, ease overcrowding and finish projects, but it will involve a fare hike and a tax increase for Metro Vancouver residents. The B.C.
government announced Thursday that it would provide $312 million in operating funding to the Metro Vancouver transit operator over the next three years, if the rest of its investment plan is approved. The plan would allow for several improvements, including more service on up to 50 bus routes, extending the North Shore’s rapid bus and adding West Coast Express train cars. But It would also mean a five-per-cent fare increase in July, an extra $1.
50 added to the current fee to go the airport and a 0.5-per-cent property tax increase, equal to about $20 for a median household. A public consultation process is being held on the plan with comments accepted until April 24.
A vote by both the Mayors’ Council and the TransLink Board is expected on April 30. TransLink provides 5.5 million service hours every year, operating commuter trains and the SeaBus, as well as trolley and regular buses, but has said it faced a shortfall of $600 million per year.
Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth says they know that TransLink is facing a significant deficit as costs and demand for services increase, and the provincial funding will allow for both stable service and for expansion. The B.C.
money is in addition to $1.5 billion over 10 years that the federal government announced for the network in March. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2025.
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