During the pandemic, transit took a beating and ridership numbers plummeted. Yet communities rely on transit and it’s an important alternative to vehicles for commutes. Ridership numbers are continuing to increase, with Metro Vancouver’s public transportation authority, TransLink at 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels (May 2022).
Hearing about the importance of transit from the public convinced governments to help. Aside from emergency funding, the federal government is providing $14.9 billion over eight years to fund transit, which includes $3 billion per year for permanent public transit funding beginning in 2026/27. An additional $750 million will go to municipalities to help with transit operating shortfalls (February, 2022).
