As the municipal election approaches on October 17th, we want to make sure the issues that transit riders care about the most are front and centre. Municipal politicians often have the most power to fix problems with transit, so we sent out a survey asking our newsletter recipients what they most want fixed.
Here’s what they said:
- Unreliable service!
“My bus is often delayed due to traffic or congestion” (n=120 respondents) was the most chosen answer, with “Transit is unreliable (late arrivals, cancellations)” (n=66) coming in 5th. While our survey respondents were overwhelmingly Vancouverites, 40% of respondents to these questions lived outside the City of Vancouver: unreliability is a problem across the region!
“Congestion-related delays could be greatly reduced by introducing more bus priority signals at intersections. Currently, I can only think of one in Burnaby”
- Waits are too long!
“My bus or transit service doesn’t come frequently enough” (n=100) was the second most selected option, with a majority of respondents living outside the City of Vancouver. “There is not enough service in early mornings, late nights, or weekends” (n=75) landed 4th on our list. “Transit does not reach the places I want to go” (n=39) ended up near the bottom of our list, but was a big issue for non-Vancouver voters.
“Langley City service is reliable and good to other regions. However, neighbourhood service around Langley is pretty poor. Most of the community shuttles run only every hour and have slow, “milk-run” routes.”
- Buses are too full!
“Buses or trains are overcrowded” (n=99) was our third place issue. It’s no surprise that most respondents who selected this option were from Vancouver, as that’s where the most overcrowded bus routes are. Also, literally everyone from Surrey who filled out our survey selected this option.
“I live in the River District, and not having regular bus service negatively affects my social life. Another issue is that I am never sure that I’ll be able to board the #31 shuttle because only 20-some people fit.”
- Transit is slow!
Although not as high as other issues, “My commute takes too long because of transfers or slow service” (n=56) and “My community needs an express bus, RapidBus, or SkyTrain” (n=57) show that the people want faster transit! Residents outside of Vancouver were more likely to want higher-order transit like SkyTrain or RapidBus.
“Skytrain to UBC please! It’s a priority for me.”
5. Sidewalks and bus stops need to be better!
Bus stops and walking infrastructure were also a big issue, with many respondents answering “Bus stops lack shelters or seating” (n=59) and “Sidewalks are unsafe, in poor condition, or non-existent.” (n=46). To protest bad bus stops, we are taking things into our own hands… keep your eye out for some unofficial-looking benches. . .
“Biggest issue is definitely the lack of protection from rain while waiting for a bus.”
- Transit is too expensive!
Last but not least, “I cannot afford the transit fare” (n=49) was selected by a good chunk of respondents. Movement believes everyone should be able to get around, regardless of what they have in their bank account. That’s why we’re fighting for a low-income transit pass!
“I love transit, but it’s so expensive for someone working minimum wage.”
Regional differences
It’s worth spending a moment to dive into how these responses differed based on the municipality people responded from.
- Vancouver ranked overcrowding as a higher concern than any other city – it was their second highest concern, after traffic congestion
- While sidewalks were ranked 10th as an issue region-wide, in Burnaby they were ranked second! This sends a clear message that Burnaby needs to speed up their efforts to make their city pedestrian-friendly.
“fixing sidewalks needs more than just shovelling on asphalt at the irregularities. fixing the bumps due to tree roots would benefit people with mobility issues – scooters and wheelchairs – and make getting to transit easier”
- Surrey’s results showed a clear difference from Vancouver and Burnaby: their top three issues highlight the need for expanded service.
Surrey’s top 3 issues:- My bus or transit service doesn’t come frequently enough
- There is not enough service in early mornings, late nights, or weekends
- Transit does not reach the places I want to go
- Unfortunately, we don’t have a large enough sample to draw any serious conclusions from other individual municipalities, but on the whole, here are their top three concerns:
Top 3 issues in munis outside of Vancouver, Burnaby, or Surrey:- My bus or transit service doesn’t come frequently enough
- There is not enough service in early mornings, late nights, or weekends
- My bus is often delayed due to traffic or congestion
In conclusion… you should vote in the municipal election on October 17th! Even better, tell everyone you know to vote. Local government has direct control or strong influence over every single one of these issues! We’ve created a transit pledge for candidates so you know who to vote for to fix transit. If you’re a voter, click here to stay informed and sign our pledge!