TransLink will increase fares again beginning on July 1, 2018

TransLink to increase fares again beginning July 1

Transit bus / Shutterstock

It will cost a few cents more to take transit in Metro Vancouver, beginning on Canada Day this year.

On Monday morning, TransLink said that starting July 1, transit fares will increase by five to 10 cents, per trip.

The change was originally announced back November 2016 as part of Phase One of the Mayors’ Council 10-Year Vision for Regional Transportation, and the first of the annual increases went into effect on Canada Day 2017.

As of the first of next month:

Single-use concession fares will increase by five cents for Stored Value fares and 10 cents for cash fares.
Single-use adult fares will increase by 10 cents (this includes HandyDART).
DayPass fares will increase by 25 cents.
Monthly pass fares will increase between $1 and $2, depending on zone type.
Fare increases will be the same on West Coast Express.

Here is the full schedule of increases through 2019:

Planned transit fare increases in Metro Vancouver from 2017 to 2019. (TransLink)

In a release, TransLink called the increases “modest” and said the price changes are helping to “fund transit investments to increase capacity, reduce overcrowding and introduce bus service in new areas.”

Compass Card-holders who use Stored Value will continue to enjoy a discounted fare compared to cash customers.

TransLink also noted that even with the impending increases, “Metro Vancouver continues to have the lowest average fares of all major Canadian cities.”

The company said improvements being funded in part through the fare increases include:

Five new B-Line bus routes.
10% increase in bus service by 2019.
15% increase in HandyDART service by 2019.
20% increase in rail service following the delivery of 56 new SkyTrain and 24 new Canada Line cars beginning later this year.

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