RELEASE – Movement urges Vancouver Council to take decisive action on delayed and overcrowded buses as customer satisfaction reaches new lows
For Immediate Release
VANCOUVER – On Wednesday, July 24, Vancouver City Council will vote on a motion to deliver more bus lanes, faster, and urge the province to enable automated bus lane enforcement. This comes on the eve of TransLink’s latest customer service report, showing that overcrowding and delays are becoming too much to bear.
Movement calls on Vancouver Council to take decisive action by approving this motion. And so are many others.
“Access to transportation is an important social determinant of health, allowing for connection to our communities, our places of work, our friends, our family, and our day-to-day essentials. Dedicated bus lanes can improve bus speed and reliability, increase transit ridership, decrease congestion, and help Vancouver reach its transportation modal shift goals.”
– Dr. Michael Schwandt, Medical Health Officer (full endorsement letter available here)
“We have three kids and no car. That’s on purpose. We’re doing our part to reduce our carbon footprint. Not in a holier-than-thou way. We know it’s a privilege for us to be able to make that choice, and not everyone can do so.
However, many other Vancouver residents could more easily make the same choice as we have if only the bus corridors were improved such that transit reliability, safety, and efficiency were prioritized in the city’s budget.
I know there are tradeoffs whenever implementing changes to the road network. There can be financial impacts to taxpayers. There can be impacts on motorists. But for those who HAVE to drive (due to disability, say, or due to the needs of their business), it will be better to get others out of their cars and onto buses (and bikes). The only way to assure they make the switch is to improve Vancouver’s top transit corridors.”
– Emilie K. Adin, Adjunct Professor, School of Community of Urban and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia
“Measures such as bus lanes reduce travel time, increase reliability, and improve the efficiency of our transit system, helping more people get to where they need to go. Savings in operational costs achieved from such measures can be reinvested elsewhere in the system, with the launch of Route 80 last April as an example.”
– TransLink spokesperson, as quoted in this article.
“South Vancouver played a decisive role in the outcome of the last municipal election. South Vancouver also has some of the highest rates of transit usage in the country, and routes like the R4, 49, and 100 are chronically overcrowded and delayed. Without action, this crowding is about to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. Council can make meaningful change for South Vancouver by supporting this motion.”
– Denis Agar, Executive Director of Movement
Support for Ken Sim in 2022 election. Map by Brendan Dawe.
Smaller white circles and larger blue circles reflect greater vote share for Ken Sim.
Share of commuters using transit, Census 2021.
Darker green colour reflects higher rate of transit usage.
For more information about the motion, please see the write up from our allies over at Vision Zero Vancouver. And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Media Contact:
Denis Agar
Executive Director
Movement: Metro Vancouver Transit Riders
778-776-8806