TransLink ridership shows some recovery despite deficit, route restrictions

Translink’s ridership is slowly getting back to normal, but CEO Kevin Quinn says we’ll likely never get back to pre-pandemic numbers.

Metro Vancouver is seeing 60 per cent of pre-COVID levels, a hopeful sign for recovery.

But some bus routes are running less frequently to save money, with TransLink looking at a deficit of more than $46 million for next year.

“We will be reducing frequency on a small number of routes with lower ridership while protecting those busiest routes, and on those small number of routes, what our customers may experience is instead of coming every seven minutes now, it will arrive every eight to 10 minutes at times when ridership on that route is lower,” said Quinn.

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Despite the gradual growth, which Quinn says is good news, he’s concerned about TransLink’s financial security.

“The fact is that we are heading towards a new normal, given the long-term impacts of the pandemic on the economy, travel, and work behaviors,” he said.

“We’re still working to understand what this new normal is going to look like, but I am certain that it will mean a lower reliance on fare revenues, which will need to be replaced with another source.”

Join us next week as we talk Surrey-Langley SkyTrain, RapidBus, sustainable transportation and investments, Transport 2050, and so much more with @TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn.

Registration required: https://t.co/JhccwQ8qnr pic.twitter.com/4C3ddC5Tzu

— SurreyBoardofTrade (@SBofT) December 3, 2021

He hopes the federal government will continue to give the organization support over the coming years.

“October journeys were 12.7 per cent above the 2021 budgeted journeys for the month, and in general, TransLink’s recovery is high compared to our American and Canadian peers,” said Quinn.

More good news for public transit! @TransLink is leading other major Canadian transit systems in the recovery of ridership. And that’s all thanks to folks doing their part to get vaccinated in our fight against #COVID19.#vanpoli pic.twitter.com/euDDJOKLYL

— Kennedy Stewart (@kennedystewart) December 3, 2021

Natural disasters caused by extreme weather across B.C. haven’t made it easy for TransLink to recover from the pandemic, but Quinn says crews have been working hard to repair infrastructure and clear routes.

The organization released its vision for what the provincial transportation system will look like by 2050, including building 850 kilometers of bikeways, employing more electric vehicles, and quadrupling the size of the rapid transit network.