Metro Vancouver Transit Riders Left Behind by 2024 BC Budget

“Send more. So many more. This is such a crucial line for so many people and it gets half the amount of buses sent that it should. I am so sick of getting passed five times on my way to school in the morning making me late for class.”
– Anonymous 49 rider, in response to our survey

Metro Vancouver’s transit riders make up almost 20% of the population of British Columbia. Today, we saw a budget released that did not offer them any relief from the chronic overcrowding and passups that has overtaken the transit network in the last two years.

This budget ignores the transit shortage that affects one in six British Columbians. The fact that such a large part of the electorate could be overlooked demonstrates the urgent need for Movement. We launched in Fall 2023 to shine a spotlight on the experiences of regular transit users. It wasn’t a moment too soon.

It’s clear that this government has heard loud and clear the need for more housing, proposing a diversity of measures that will lead to a diversity of new housing options near frequent transit. This is cause for optimism, and the result of tireless advocacy from regular Metro Vancouverites.

All that additional housing is simply not workable without better transit. How can we expect the residents of these new homes to rely on transit when their bus is full? Shouldn’t we be doing what we can to give them an alternative to driving, when our road network is at its breaking point?

We understand that there is still some negotiation underway to address the transit shortage. To our MLAs, please reach out to us to find out more about the transit shortage in your electoral district. The new BRT and SkyTrain lines are very exciting, and we will celebrate when they open. But we’re in crisis
now.

Do what you can to push for funding to buy and operate more buses as soon as possible.