Overcrowding on transit approaches pre-pandemic levels, TransLink survey says

TransLink recently conducted a survey that found transit ridership across Metro Vancouver has jumped by 20 per cent or more in the past year.

According to the found data, overcrowding is approaching pre-pandemic levels, especially in regions like Richmond, Surrey, Delta, White Rock, and Langley.

The study, which was discussed Thursday morning by members of the TransLink Mayors’ Council, reports 15 per cent more riders in those cities use transit now than before the pandemic — essentially voiding the 12 per cent service increase that was recently provided.

FILE – A bus in Metro Vancouver. (OMNI / CityNews Image)

TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn says customers face the most overcrowding when boarding a bus, even more so during peak hours.

“We have the same number of total customers today as we did in 2019, about 400,000 unique people every day take transit,” he said.

“While we expect growth rates to settle back down, the current extremely high growth rates demonstrate how rapidly our system is changing and evolving, and we need to be prepared to meet this need.”

Quinn says, as transit use is expected to be higher in the fall, they do anticipate that overcrowding will get worse.

He adds it will become more difficult to re-allocate routes to reduce overcapacity as more customers choose transit as their method to get to work.

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In mid-May, members of the TransLink Mayors Council went to Ottawa to ask the federal government for funding to address Metro Vancouver’s stressed transit system. Council Chair and Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West called conversations with the federal government “productive.”

“Everyone agreed expanding transit is critical to improving quality of life, addressing affordability, and meeting emission reduction targets. We are hopeful our federal counterparts will come to the table alongside the Province of BC and local leaders to help make this plan a reality,” he said.

“The year-over-year growth in our region is extremely high and demonstrates the urgency of action needed by governments.”