Transit trips to and from UBC have more than tripled over the last 25 years, with around 20,000 trips a day in 1997 to over 65,000 trips a day in 2022, according to a 2023 statement from UBC Media Relations Director of University Affairs Matthew Ramsey.
As the cost of living increases and transit becomes more popular, public transportation is a key priority for voters.
The Ubyssey summed up each party’s platform to help UBC community members make an informed vote.
BC Conservative Party
The BC Conservatives’ platform centres on upgrading infrastructure and fixing TransLink’s financial issues to ensure transit is reliable and affordable.
The party promises to rebuild or expand multiple bridges and highways — including expanding Highway 1 and replacing the George Massey Tunnels. It also promises to extend SkyTrain lines to Newton in Surrey and extend TransLink services to Squamish.
John Rustad, the leader of the Conservative Party, said his party would offer TransLink two years of stop-gap funding, rather than “billion-dollar bailouts" as an audit occurs “to ensure the long-term availability of funding,” according to the party’s website.
BC Green Party
The BC Green Party has committed to making transit free for riders and will provide “immediate funding for TransLink to maintain and expand service levels in 2025,” according to the party's platform.
The Greens also plan to “convene a roundtable with Indigenous, Federal, Regional, and Municipal governments” to “determine next steps to bring rail [transit] back to Vancouver Island.”
The party also committed to delivering regular bus service across BC and requiring the province to spend “at least as much on public transit, walking, and cycling as on highway infrastructure and operations” by reducing the subsidy car drivers receive to promote “equitable transportation funding.”
BC NDP
In 2021, the BC NDP implemented free transit for children under 12 years old as a step toward its goal to make transit more affordable for families. In 2018, in response to Greyhound Canada’s decision to stop services to Northern BC, the government attempted to fill the gap with BC Bus North service — which has still left some communities isolated and struggling to travel.
Now, the NDP promises to expand SkyTrain services with the Broadway Subway and the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain projects. The party said the Broadway Subway could save commuters who ride buses along the Broadway corridor an average of 30 minutes a day. The new line is expected to open in 2027.
The NDP also committed to continuing the ongoing Pattullo Bridge construction and upcoming George Massey Tunnel replacement. The party has also promised to complete the SkyTrain Millennium Line extension from Arbutus to UBC — a project that has been repeatedly delayed.
This article is part of The Ubyssey's 2024 provincial elections coverage.
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