Keeping transit accessible

Keeping transit accessible

Wheelchair passenger riding the bus

Customer using wheelchair getting on the bus

TransLink recognizes and celebrates the diverse demographic of transit users on our system. In fact, we have an entire team of Access Transit professionals dedicated to breaking down barriers and improving the accessibility and overall transit service experience for people with disabilities, seniors, new immigrants and young people alike. We’re proud to be a leader in providing an array of accessible travel options to passengers. Buses, Community Shuttle, SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express vehicles are all fully accessible.

As part of our ongoing work to provide a seamless and inclusive public transit system that welcomes every member of the region’s diverse community, we recently launched the Universal Fare Gate Access Program at over 40 per cent of our SkyTrain stations. This program, the first of its kind to our knowledge globally, provides participants with radio-frequency identification (RFID) cards that will automatically send a signal to RFID readers located above designated accessible fare gates. The fare gate will open when the card comes within range and close once the customer passes through. We plan to have all SkyTrain and SeaBus stations equipped with this technology by the end of 2018.

Low-Floor Community Shuttle at bus depot

Want to read more about accessibility on transit? Catch up with Mika, a wheelchair using transit lover, on an accessible tour of our transit system.

Have questions, concerns or need a little more help? Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) offers training sessions for using your mobility aid. Find more information on our website, and be sure to take a look at our Accessible Entrance Maps to learn valuable wayfinding tips.

Author: Sarah Kertcher