Which municipal candidates have good transit ideas?

A collage of screenshots and video stills about transit-focused candidates and issues in a Metro Vancouver municipal election campaign. Clockwise from top left: Solomon Etuk, a bearded man in glasses and a patterned shirt, with captions reading “Candidate for Council” and “transit signal priority.” A young man in a dark jacket and maroon shirt holds up a transit card inside a station beside fare gates, with the caption “low-income transit pass.” A man in a white t-shirt sits at an outdoor picnic table, with a caption reading “I want to be a councillor who brings residents to our...” (text cut off). A map graphic with a red pin and the text “Drive to bus to UBC.” A man with glasses in a dark jacket speaks to the camera, with a caption about “continued commitment to delivering public services.” A news headline from Amir Ali, dated Sep 25, 2026: “‘A basic thing’: Surrey mayoral candidate says he’ll build washrooms at every transit hub,” with a photo of Surrey Central station below it. A woman with long dark hair in a pink blazer walks outdoors, with a caption saying “this can help buses move up to 18% faster.” A Bluesky post from Joel Gibbs about riding the R2 in Burnaby, saying 20 to 30% of the trip time is spent at red lights, and that voting on October 17 can make trips at least 20% faster.

The municipal election is just a few days away. Movement is a non-partisan organization, which means we don’t endorse candidates. But we do endorse ideas! Here are the ways we’re engaging with the candidates and their ideas this time around:

  1. Pledge – Here’s a list of candidates and parties that have signed our pledge to make transit better in a few key ways. 
  2. Voting Record – We also have a list of the voting records of parties in Vancouver and Surrey on key election issues
  3. Platform ideas – read on!

In this blog post, we want to highlight the transit ideas that candidates and parties have put front and centre in their platforms. This might not be a comprehensive list – if you think something is missing, email us!

New rapid transit projects

Vancouver:

  • The UBC SkyTrain extension is something we’ve pushed hard for. Getting it done will require support from all three levels of government, but without the city, nothing can happen.
    • Supported by: COPE, Greens, Liberals, OneCity, Vote Vancouver
  • Beyond:
    • The Liberals propose to champion rapid transit to all corners of the city, with lines to Stanley Park, the PNE, and South Van, paid for by the revenue from new development along those lines.

Surrey: 

  • Design for the King George BRT is already underway, and will bring fast, reliable transit to Newton, South Surrey and White Rock.
    • Supported by: Imagine Surrey, Surrey Connect
    • Opposed by: Safe Surrey Coalition, Surrey First
  • Beyond:
    • Imagine Surrey proposes two additional BRT routes, to be completed by 2030, on Scott Road and 152 St. 
    • Note: A variety of parties propose things like commuter rail, SkyTrain, and LRT, but those are not in alignment with our pledge.

Burnaby:

Washrooms on transit

Surrey:

  • Imagine Surrey has made one of the clearest commitments we’ve seen on this issue. They commit to building washrooms in partnership with TransLink at every transit hub, as well as at neighbourhood centres across Surrey. 

Making buses faster

Vancouver: 

  • Bus lanes and other forms of priority are perhaps the single most powerful tool cities have to make transit better.
    • Supported by: COPE, Greens, Liberals, OneCity, Vote Vancouver
  • Beyond:
    • The Liberals are proposing contra-flow bus lanes on Howe/Seymour (check this video on how those work) and a dedicated bus lane along all of Hastings with signal priority as well
    • OneCity has a detailed plan for signal priority, which would allow traffic signals to detect buses and give them green lights.
  • Hastings Street Pilot:

Burnaby:

  • The Burnaby Greens have promised to speed up buses by at least 20% during peak periods by introducing transit priority on all frequent routes within two years.

Transit Affordability

Movement has been campaigning hard for a discounted low-income pass to be applied region-wide. This would be administered at the regional, or provincial level. Many have agreed to this idea by signing our pledge. Here’s who has put that idea in their platform.

Vancouver: 

  • A low income pass is in the platform of:
    • COPE
    • Greens
    • OneCity

Surrey:

  • Imagine Surrey proposed a measure they could do unilaterally – they would bulk-buy bus passes (like Victoria does for youth under 18), and re-sell them at a discounted rate to people with low-incomes. We would prefer a region-wide solution, but in the meantime, this is a creative approach to the problem.

Burnaby:

  • The Burnaby Greens have proposed to create a Low-Income Transit pass specifically for Burnaby residents.  

Better sidewalks and bus stops

Cities are in full control of their streets. That means they can act quickly to ensure pedestrians and bus riders have good sidewalks, crosswalks, shelters, and benches. But will they? Here’s what we found in platforms:

Vancouver:

  • COPE has promised to invest in shelters and benches.
  • OneCity proposes to focus on improved street lighting so all pedestrians feel safe

Burnaby:

  • Burnaby Citizens Association candidate Kiran Singh has been vocal about the importance of expanding the number of transit shelters.
  • Burnaby First mentions shelters in their platform.
  • The Burnaby Greens propose ensuring a bench and shelter at every stop by 2030, as well as ensuring every street has a connected, accessible sidewalk within 5 years.

Surrey: 

  • Imagine Surrey proposes 50 kilometres of brand-new sidewalks.

Delta:

  • OneDelta commits to building more bus shelters.

Using your city’s voice to speak up for better transit funding

The transit funding crisis came to a head last year when there was a risk of 50% cuts to bus service region-wide. That crisis was resolved temporarily, but we still don’t have funding that will allow transit service to grow. As gas tax revenue declines, TransLink will likely need a new revenue tool (aka a tax) to be able to fund expansion. The province will have to open the door for this new revenue tool, but it will be the Mayors’ Council who has to walk through it. Each city council sends a delegate to that Mayors’ Council.

New Westminster:

  • Community First’s platform explicitly calls for secure, long-term public transit funding across the region.

Calls for expanded bus service

Increased bus service is incredibly necessary in every corner of the region, but it’s tricky because it isn’t fully within the control of city council. Here’s how they can influence this:

  1. Each council will send a delegate to the Mayors’ Council that governs TransLink, and we hope that delegate will push to expand transit funding for the region as a whole.
  2. The city’s delegate then must advocate at Mayors’ Council to ensure some of that funding is used to address specific transit issues in your city.

Here are the specific transit issues highlighted in these platforms:

Vancouver:

  • COPE proposes to reverse COVID-era cuts that decimated bus frequency on routes like the 3, 8, and 20.

Surrey:

  • Imagine Surrey proposes NightBus service on King George, Scott Road, 152nd, and Fraser Highway.

Burnaby:

  • The Burnaby Citizens Association calls for increased bus service in Burnaby, generally.
  • The Burnaby Greens support quick implementation of TransLink’s updated proposals for more direct and frequent bus service in Burnaby, especially north–south connections.

Richmond:

  • Richmond Citizens Association is calling for expanded transit from Bridgeport to Steveston.

We know this can be a lot to navigate. If you’re still wondering who to vote for, please don’t forget to check out our pledge signers, as well as the incumbents’ records (Surrey, Vancouver).

And please don’t forget to vote on Saturday! Tell your friends and ask them to come with you!