Mayors’ Council approves plan to expand bus service by 5%, increase property tax
Posted April 30, 2025 7:52 am.
Last Updated April 30, 2025 12:52 pm.
People across Metro Vancouver can expect a boost in transit after the region’s Mayors’ Council approved its 2025 Investment Plan on Wednesday.
Despite significant financial pressures, the plan aims to boost bus service and push ahead with its proposed rapid transit corridors along King George Boulevard in Surrey, between Burnaby and the North Shore, and between Langley and Maple Ridge.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!The Mayors’ Council and Translink say bus service will grow by five per cent over the next two years in an effort to relieve overcrowding on fifty of its busiest routes. The plan will also add routes in high-demand areas like the Tilbury Industrial Park in Delta.
“Investing in transit means investing in the region’s economy and long-term growth. By expanding transit to under-served areas and to relieve overcrowding on our busiest routes, this Investment Plan sets us on a path to respond to the demands of a growing region and province,” Mayors’ Council Chair Brad West said.
The boost in services will cost residents in the region, whether they take public transit or not. The plan says money to pay for the improvements will come from an increase in transit fares, a hike in the property tax levy, and a boost in parking fees.
“This Investment Plan will be funded through several measures, including a $20 increase in property taxes for median households in 2025 and a fare increase of $0.14 for the average trip starting in July 2026. The Government of British Columbia is also investing in TransLink operations, including a one-time contribution of $312 million and a commitment to a new revenue source by 2027,” Translink said in a statement.
TransLink provides 5.5 million service hours every year, operating commuter trains and the SeaBus, as well as trolley and regular buses, but has said it faced a shortfall of $600 million per year.
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