TransLink's May 2018 ridership numbers are showing record-breaking numbers.
Ridership has reached a new all-time high, with the brief period Vancouver hosted the 2010 Olympic Winter Games being the only exception.
Ridership grew across all modes:
- Bus: Average weekday boardings for May are up 9.5%, while growth year to date is 6.9%.
- SkyTrain: May’s Expo/Millennium Line average weekday boardings are up 9.2%, while Canada Line’s grew by 8.1%. Expo, Millennium and Canada Line boardings combined for the year so far are up 5.7%.
- SeaBus: Average weekday boardings increased by 13.1%, thanks in part to frequency increases in the evening launched a year ago. Year to date, boardings are up 7.6%.
- West Coast Express: Boardings for May are up 6.7% and the year-to-date growth rate is also 6.7%
“New service and capacity is being used as fast as we can get it out there,” says TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond. “This kind of growth isn’t being seen anywhere else in Canada and the United States. Ridership growth like this proves there’s a great deal of latent demand for transit and we are working to satisfy it.”
More people are choosing transit due to Phase One improvements across the system, persistent high gas prices and lasting employment growth, Desmond said in a news release.
Phase Two of the Vision will deliver the additional service the region is asking for.
- Construction of light rail in Surrey, the Millennium Line Broadway Extension in Vancouver and planning and design for Surrey-Langley rapid transit.
- New bus service across the region including B-Lines in Richmond and Surrey.
- New buses and SkyTrain cars to increase frequency and capacity.
Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, Chair of the Mayors’ Council, adds that the recent funding commitments by the provincial and federal governments to the Phase Two Plan will help the region respond to this surging ridership.
“These investments will ensure people living here have transit as an affordable option for getting to work, shopping, and visiting family and friends,” Corrigan said.
