Olsen and Valeriote highlight need for public transit in Sea-to-Sky corridor

VANCOUVER B.C. – B.C. Green house leader Adam Olsen and candidate Jeremy Valeriote (West Vancouver-Sea to Sky) plan to put a spotlight on the lack of public transit in the Sea-to-Sky corridor by traveling from downtown Vancouver to Squamish by public transit, streaming parts of each leg of their journey on Instagram Live.

Residents of the Sea-to-Sky corridor have been calling for regional public transit for years. B.C.’s embarrassing lack of regional public transit was recently highlighted in an episode of the BBC’s Race Across the World in which competitors had to make their way from Vancouver to Haida Gwaii. The B.C. Green Party launched a petition for regional public transit in the Sea-to-Sky corridor in February.

“It seems like the B.C. NDP government is keen to ignore this issue,” Valeriote said. “Local governments and First Nations have heard nothing from Minister of Transportation Rob Fleming, despite numerous attempts to start discussions with the government for years. B.C. Greens know how vital this service is; it makes transportation affordable – especially given our cost-of-living crisis – cuts down on congestion, and supports climate action. Public transit, as well as affordable housing and the clean economy, will be a big part of my election campaign.”

“I frequently use public transit to get from Central Saanich to work at the legislature,” Olsen added. “It’s not a lot different from the situation that residents in the Sea-to-Sky face: you live in one community and you work in another. The only difference is I have access to reliable, affordable public transit to make those journeys. All British Columbians should have equal access to transportation to make life more affordable and dependable. I don’t understand why the B.C. NDP hasn’t made this a priority.”

Public transit from Metro Vancouver to Lions Bay will take at least 1 hour and 30 minutes via 2-3 separate buses (depending on where you start in downtown), as opposed to 35 minutes by car. From there, Olsen and Valeriote will have to find alternative transportation, as public transit is not available past Lions Bay. Please follow @adamphillipolsen on Instagram to follow their journey. 

After arriving in Squamish, Olsen will join party leader Sonia Furstenau and deputy leader Dr. Sanjiv Gandhi for Valeriote’s campaign launch party.

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