TransLink expected to approve planned rate hike

By the summer, you can expect to pay a higher fare to ride transit around Metro Vancouver.

TransLink is expected to approve the hike at a board meeting next week — despite the province’s recent $479-million top-up for the transit authority.

When TransLink put together its 2022 investment plan, there were a series of 2.3 percent hike increases outlined, and that appears set to go ahead.

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Nathan Davidowicz is a longtime transit advocate and says he is opposed to the increase.

“You increase fares, ridership goes down, you cut service, and it’s a never-ending cycle,” Davidowicz told CityNews in an interview.

“We need to get improvement to our transit system. Playing around with some small fare increase, it just takes away from the real thing, which is needed — a big increase in transit services.”

TransLink has sent a statement saying the planned increase is far lower than the rate of inflation.

The hike should work out to an extra 5 or 10 cents per trip.

The recent provincial funding announcement is anticipated to allow TransLink to maintain existing service levels until 2025.