All electoral districts in Metro Vancouver ranked for public transit use | Daily Hive

TransLink's R4 41st Avenue RapidBus in Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

If Metro Vancouver residents want new and improved public transit services, who they vote for in the upcoming general provincial election slated for late 2024 should be a strong consideration.

Conversely, in developing their campaign platforms and policies, the candidates running in that election should factor in how many of their constituents depend on public transit.

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“The transit system is in crisis right now, with overcrowding reaching record levels,” says Denis Agar, executive director of Movement, a Vancouver transit advocacy organization, in a statement. “People are already being left behind at their bus stop because it’s too full. Our aim is to connect transit riders with their elected officials so they can receive the message that we desperately need more service now.”

Ahead of this week’s 2024 provincial budget reveal, Movement is hoping to see a new infusion of operating funding for TransLink to help relieve overcrowding on buses. They have also ranked the provincial electoral districts in Metro Vancouver based on their mid-pandemic public transit mode share (the percentage of travellers who were using public transportation for their commute):

Vancouver-Renfrew
- Transit mode share: 34%
- Incumbent MLA: Adrian Dix
Vancouver-Langara
- Transit mode share: 30%
- Incumbent MLA: Michael Lee
Vancouver-Kensington
- Transit mode share: 28%
- Incumbent MLA: Mable Elmore
Burnaby South-Metrotown
- Transit mode share: 27%
- Incumbent MLA: Raj Chouhan
Surrey City Centre
- Transit mode share: 26%
- Incumbent MLA: Bruce Ralston/Rachna Singh
Burnaby-New Westminster
- Transit mode share: 24%
- Incumbent MLA: Raj Chouhan/Jennifer Whiteside
Vancouver-Strathcona
- Transit mode share: 24%
- Incumbent MLA: Joan Phillip
New Westminster-Coquitlam
- Transit mode share: 24%
- Incumbent MLA: Jennifer Whiteside
Vancouver-Hastings
- Transit mode share: 23%
- Incumbent MLA: Niki Sharma
Vancouver-Fraserview
- Transit mode share: 21%
- Incumbent MLA: George Chow
Burnaby Centre
- Transit mode share: 21%
- Incumbent MLA: Anne Kang
Vancouver-West End
- Transit mode share: 21%
- Incumbent MLA: Spencer Chandra Herbert
Vancouver-Little Mountain
- Transit mode share: 21%
- Incumbent MLA: George Heyman/Michael Lee
Surrey North
- Transit mode share: 21%
- Incumbent MLA: Rachna Singh/Bruce Ralston
Vancouver-Point Grey
- Transit mode share: 19%
- Incumbent MLA: David Eby
Richmond North Centre
- Transit mode share: 19%
- Incumbent MLA: Henry Yao/Teresa Wat
Vancouver-Yaletown
- Transit mode share: 19%
- Incumbent MLA: Brenda Bailey
Vancouver-South Granville
- Transit mode share: 18%
- Incumbent MLA: George Heyman/Brenda Bailey
Burnaby North
- Transit mode share: 18%
- Incumbent MLA: Janet Routledge
Burnaby East
- Transit mode share: 17%
- Incumbent MLA: Katrina Chen
Surrey-Newton
- Transit mode share: 16%
- Incumbent MLA: Harry Bains
North Vancouver-Lonsdale
- Transit mode share: 16%
- Incumbent MLA: Bowinn Ma
Vancouver-Quilchena
- Transit mode share: 15%
- Incumbent MLA: Kevin Falcon
Surrey-Guildford
- Transit mode share: 15%
- Incumbent MLA: Garry Begg
Port Moody-Burquitlam
- Transit mode share: 15%
- Incumbent MLA: Rick Glumac
Richmond-Bridgeport
- Transit mode share: 13%
- Incumbent MLA: Teresa Wat
Coquitlam-Burke Mountain
- Transit mode share: 13%
- Incumbent MLA: Fin Donnelly
Surrey-Fleetwood
- Transit mode share: 13%
- Incumbent MLA: Jagrup Brar
Delta North
- Transit mode share: 12%
- Incumbent MLA: Ravi Kahlon
Richmond-Queensborough
- Transit mode share: 12%
- Incumbent MLA: Aman Singh
Surrey-Panorama
- Transit mode share: 11%
- Incumbent MLA: Jinny Sims
Coquitlam-Maillardville
- Transit mode share: 10%
- Incumbent MLA: Selina Robinson
Richmond-Steveston
- Transit mode share: 10%
- Incumbent MLA: Kelly Greene
West Vancouver-Capilano
- Transit mode share: 9%
- Incumbent MLA: Karin Kirkpatrick
Surrey-Serpentine River
- Transit mode share: 9%
- Incumbent MLA: Mike Starchuk/Jinny Sims
Port Coquitlam
- Transit mode share: 8%
- Incumbent MLA: Mike Farnworth
North Vancouver-Seymour
- Transit mode share: 8%
- Incumbent MLA: Susie Chant
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows
- Transit mode share: 5%
- Incumbent MLA: Lisa Beare
Surrey-White Rock
- Transit mode share: 5%
- Incumbent MLA: Trevor Halford
Delta South
- Transit mode share: 5%
- Incumbent MLA: Ian Paton
Langley-Willowbrook
- Transit mode share: 5%
- Incumbent MLA: Andrew Mercier
West Vancouver-Sea to Sky
- Transit mode share: 4%
- Incumbent MLA: Jordan Sturdy
Surrey-Cloverdale
- Transit mode share: 4%
- Incumbent MLA: Mike Starchuk
Surrey South
- Transit mode share: 4%
- Incumbent MLA: Elenore Sturko
Langley-Walnut Grove
- Transit mode share: 3%
- Incumbent MLA: Megan Dykeman
Maple Ridge East
- Transit mode share: 3%
- Incumbent MLA: Bob D’Eith
Langley-Abbotsford
- Transit mode share: 1%
- Incumbent MLA: Megan Dykeman/Andrew Mercier

It should be noted that this list has some duplication as it takes into account the forthcoming redrawing of some of the electoral district boundaries. As well, the transit mode figures are based on census data collected in May 2021, at a time when TransLink’s ridership was significantly impacted by the pandemic. Public transit ridership has since recovered from 40% of pre-pandemic levels to about 100% of pre-pandemic levels.

Furthermore, the transit mode only takes into account commuting and does not factor in other types of trips, such as for leisure and shopping.

Currently represented by BC Minister of Health Adrian Dix, the riding of Vancouver-Renfrew tops the list, which is an area directly served by three SkyTrain Expo Line stations — Joyce-Collingwood, 29th Avenue, and Nanaimo — and the R4 41st Avenue RapidBus.

Movement notes that, based on its outreach work to date of asking MLAs on their transit positions, Vancouver-Langara MLA Michael Lee, representing the the second-highest-ranked riding, would like to see an east-west bus route along 57th Avenue, which currently does not exist.

If the status quo remains, TransLink is forecasting a cumulative budget shortfall of $4.7 billion between 2026 and 2033 — without accounting for any new investments in major service improvements and projects. The Mayors’ Council and TransLink are urging the provincial and federal governments to extend operating funding beyond 2025 — when the current subsidies end — and commit new major capital funding to achieve expansion and improvement projects.

Due to the current funding constraints, public transit services in Metro Vancouver are frozen at 2019 levels.

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