"Good grief": BC Greens make lofty transit election promise
As we approach the provincial election, the BC Greens are making their first big splash in an attempt to sway voters, this time with a lofty transit promise.
If elected, Sonia Furstenau, the leader of the BC Green Party, announced that the party plans to make transit free for all province-wide.
“Fast, frequent and free transit will shift how people move, reduce household costs, and enable a giant leap forward on meeting our climate goals,” the BC Green Party said in a statement.
BC residents aren’t resonating with the promise the way the BC Greens may have hoped.
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So far, Furstenau and the BC Green Party have only shared some preliminary details about this proposed free transit plan, with more details expected later this fall. The party says the net cost would be $720 million per year.
Other details include the proposal for more buses. The BC Green Party wants to double the number of buses within four years and triple it within eight.
“Not only will free transit save families thousands of dollars each year, it will also ease the growing congestion on our roads and improve safety and connectivity between communities,” the BC Green Party added.
Transportation affects every aspect of our lives, where we live, how we connect with others, and whether we can access opportunities. Fast, frequent and free transit will shift how people move, reduce household costs, and enable a giant leap forward on meeting our climate goals.… pic.twitter.com/Y6wznHh2hO
— BC Green Party (@BCGreens) September 5, 2024
“How will this help?”
In response to the announcement, residents are perplexed, asking how making transit free will address gaps in service that could, in some cases, be addressed with more funding.
Is she proposing to fill the funding gap at TransLink with Provincial money then?
— Lower_Mainland_Rob (@Lower_Mainland_) September 5, 2024
TransLink even suggested that people unofficially riding transit for free are causing large financial losses.
An X user said that transit is not great outside the Lower Mainland, adding, “How will this help there?”
Some fear a move like this would lead to massive taxation.
I said this already, elect the greens & they will tax us into abject poverty in an effort to “save the planet.” No thanks.
— G’oh Canada! 🇨🇦🇮🇪 (@Nunnyabizzzns) September 5, 2024
One X user simply said, “Good grief,” in response to the announcement.
TransLink reacts
TransLink trolley bus fleet. (TransLink)
We’ve asked TransLink how free transit would impact its operations.
TransLink spokesperson Dan Mountain told Daily Hive that, starting in 2026, the transit company will already be dealing with a $600 million annual funding gap. If not addressed, it could lead to a massive cut in services.
“Transit revenue is the single largest funding resource used by TransLink to operate the system, and fare revenues go directly towards providing transit services for riders. In 2025, TransLink projects to earn $685 million in fare revenues. If transit were made free, those lost revenues would have to be paid for somehow.”
Instead, TransLink is calling for a “new sustainable funding model” to expand the system and meet the needs of all riders.
In the meantime, how do you feel about this transit election promise from the BC Greens?