Transit ridership in Metro Vancouver has been consistently breaking records this year. Today is no different as our 400 millionth boarding took place in Metro Vancouver at the tail end of this morning’s rush hour commute!

This is a big number – literally and figuratively as it’s the highest number ever experienced on our system in a single year and another milestone in a record-breaking period of ridership growth.

Fun Trivia! 

1. Which metropolitan area in Canada had the highest growth in ridership?

2. Which concert near Stadium–Chinatown SkyTrain Station generated the most transit use?

3. Which fare gate had the most taps in 2017?

4. What is the longest distance a Compass Card has travelled on transit in 2017?

Find the answers at the end of this post! 

Ridership growth continues to be driven by a combination of factors including increased transit service provided through investments in the Mayors’ 10-Year Vision, strong regional economic growth, high fuel prices and low fare prices.

This year (2017) started off with 60 per cent of all weekend transit journeys in the Tri-Cities happening on the Evergreen Extension, followed by broken ridership record after broken ridership record. We’ve added more than 210,000 bus service hours, expanded SkyTrain service, brought more frequent service to SeaBus and increased HandyDART trips, just to name a few!

With current economic growth continuing upward, we anticipate paralleled ridership growth in step with continued transit expansion, beginning with the permanent addition of new hours of bus service in 2018 followed by the addition of four new B-Lines in 2019. New SkyTrain cars are scheduled to begin arriving in late 2018, as well as a new SeaBus in 2019 – paving the way for further service improvements.

A huge thanks goes out to YOU, our riders for making transit a regular part of your daily lives.

Trivia Answers:

1. Metro Vancouver (Note: The growth in ridership per capita comparison is based on a peer comparison with similar metropolitan areas in terms of size and geography. Not all Canadian CMAs are included.)

2. The Coldplay concert on September 29, 2017

3. A fare gate at Vancouver City Centre

4. 45,300 kilometres—that’s once around the Earth!

Author: Sarah Kertcher