NEW WESTMINSTER, BC — Transit ridership in the region surpassed 400 million boardings today, the highest number ever experienced on our system in a single year and another milestone in a record-breaking period of ridership growth.

The 400 millionth boarding occurred at the end of this morning’s rush hour, at approximately 9:30 a.m. somewhere in Metro Vancouver.

Between January 1 and November 30, ridership across all modes (bus, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express) was up 6.3% over the same period in 2016. This translates into more than 22 million additional boardings across the transit system compared to 2016. Year-over-year growth of greater than 6.0% is expected to stand when the final numbers are tallied after Dec. 31.

Ridership growth continues to be driven by a combination of increased transit service provided through investments in the Mayors’ 10-Year Vision, strong regional economic growth, high fuel prices and low fare prices.

In 2017, more than 210,000 service hours were added on the bus system alone, as well as expanded SkyTrain service and more frequent SeaBus.

As long as current economic growth continues, we anticipate ridership to continue to grow in step with continued transit expansion, beginning with the permanent addition of new hours of bus service in 2018 followed by the addition of four new B-Lines in 2019. New SkyTrain cars are scheduled to begin arriving in late 2018, as well as a new SeaBus in 2019, paving the way for further service improvements. 

Quote:

Kevin Desmond, CEO, TransLink –

“Reaching 400 million boardings on our system is yet another milestone in what has been an incredible two years for transit ridership in our region. The demand is there, and even with all the improvements rolled out in this first year of delivering on the Mayors’ 10-Year Vision, we still have a lot of work ahead to meet that demand.”

Learn More:

Backgrounder: Top 10 TransLink milestones in 2017

Media contact:
TransLink Media Relations
C: (778) 375-7788
E: media@translink.ca