Today marks another big day for transit in Metro Vancouver as the Mayors’ Council and the Province of British Columbia have agreed on a funding plan for Phase Two of the 10-Year Vision. This announcement marks one of the largest infrastructure investments in Metro Vancouver’s history!

What this means for customers

In 2017, ridership in Metro Vancouver reached a record-breaking 407 million boardings! This investment will ensure we can continue to meet the needs of transit users in our region both today, and into the future. Our region continues to grow, with our population expected to increase by one million people over the next 30 years, and we know transit ridership will continue to grow along with it.

Here are some of the key elements customers will see as part of the plan for Phase Two:

• Construction of Surrey-Newton-Guildford Light Rail
• Construction of Millennium Line Broadway Extension
• Significant upgrades to existing Expo-Millennium Lines to expand capacity to meet and improve the customer experience
• An 8% increase in bus service to address overcrowding, reduce wait times and bring bus services to communities with limited service
• Improvements to sidewalks, bikeways, multi-use pathways and roadways

The Mayors’ Vision will ensure the effective, efficient movement of people and goods, and maintain our status as one of the world’s most livable cities. By the time we’re finished Phase 2, we will have added more than 900,000 hours of new bus service in Metro Vancouver, and will have made space on rail service for 60 per cent more people during rush hour.

“The region’s mayors have charted a progressive path for our region that will help ensure the effective, efficient movement of people and goods, and maintain our status as one of the world’s most livable cities. TransLink stands ready to deliver on Phase Two improvements that will benefit all people right across our region, regardless of whether you are travelling by car, cycle, transit or on foot.” Kevin Desmond, TransLink CEO

It goes without saying (but we’ll say it anyways) that we are very excited about this announcement and what it means for the future of transit in Metro Vancouver.

“This is a huge win for transit users, drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. In addition to moving forward with the rapid transit projects, this funding agreement unlocks a massive investment that will continue the significant expansion to bus service across the region that kicked off last year. Residents have been asking for more transit service for many years and we are now in the position to get that service where it’s needed.” Derek Corrigan, Mayor of City of Burnaby

We’re working hard behind the scenes with the provincial and federal governments to finalize all details of this plan. Stay tuned for more information or grab the full press release on our website.

Author: Sarah Kertcher