BC government announces $300 million in funding for more TransLink buses

New articulated bus in use on the No. 2 Dunbar Loop/Macdonald/Downtown bus route. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The Government of British Columbia has announced up to $300 million in additional TransLink funding to go towards covering the future acquisition of additional buses.

This will help support the public transit authority’s bus service expansion plans over the coming years, including the rollout of the first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes and general service expansion and improvements.

“With this funding, people will experience fewer instances of overcrowded buses passing them by and benefit from additional service increases in the long-term,” said Rob Fleming, BC Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, in a statement.

“The Province is working with TransLink to solve the region’s most pressing transportation challenges in response to the unprecedented regional growth.”

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The new provincial capital funding will be combined with the remaining $479 million in TransLink funding received by the provincial government to further subsidize operating costs between 2023 and late 2025 and acquire buses.

The provincial government notes that last year’s remaining funds will now go towards immediate service increases, as announced by TransLink last month, with the net gain of service improvements beginning this September. This includes higher frequencies and capacities for 60 routes (about 25% of TransLink’s bus routes), later evening hours for 11 bus routes, and expanded SkyTrain Canada Line, SeaBus, and HandyDART services.

This follows the recent requests made by TransLink and TransLink’s Mayors’ Council for additional funding from the provincial and federal governments to help address overcrowding and carry out the expansion and improvement projects outlined in the 10-year priorities through 2035.

“At a time when Metro Vancouver is facing record-setting population growth due to federal immigration policy, we need a transit system that keeps up,” said Brad West, chair of TransLink’s Mayors’ Council and mayor of Port Coquitlam.

“We thank the provincial government for investing in the 2024 Investment Plan, particularly given the long lead time before the new federal Permanent Transit Fund is available. Our investment plan is an important short-term plan to address overcrowding, and we look forward to continuing work with both federal and provincial governments to develop a new transit funding model to support long-term expansion.”

However, based on yesterday’s release of the 2024 federal budget, the request for the federal government to expedite the start of its new annual Permanent Transit Fund from the 2025/2026 fiscal year to the 2024/2025 fiscal year has been rejected.

TransLink has indicated that each of its first three BRT routes could cost between $250 million and $300 million for a combined total approaching $1 billion, based on highly preliminary estimates.

The public transit authority also has ambitious plans to transition its bus fleet to battery-electric models, which also necessitates funding for not only vehicle acquisitions but also extensive charging and bus depot infrastructure.

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