Public transit

One of the most important areas in truly establishing liveable cities is to address transportation needs in a forward-thinking way.

Before COVID-19, we saw public transit ridership growing at significant rates, as many residents chose transit over a single-occupancy vehicle. COVID-19 has dealt a temporary, but significant blow to the finances of our transit agencies. We cannot let our transit infrastructure be compromised by the pandemic—instead, we need to double down on these investments.

We need to have the courage to tackle regional planning in a holistic and thoughtful way, rather than simply picking projects according to their potential to win more votes. We also need to integrate our climate goals into every infrastructure decision we make and ensure any public money spent on transportation is expanding our transit and active transportation networks. Investing in transit, liveable cities and active transportation will not only help us meet our climate targets—it will improve our physical and mental wellbeing, the strength and connectedness of our communities, and our overall quality of life.

The BC Greens’ transit strategy will prioritize investments in transit service coming out of COVID-19 and ensure long-term financial support is provided to TransLink, BC Transit and BC Ferries. For coastal communities and some interior communities, ferries are part of the way of life and a core part of the transportation network. We need to stop pretending that ferries should, or could, be run with a profit motive and bring their focus back to the essential services they provide to our communities.

We have an opportunity to reimagine what we want our communities to look like. That means making them safer, healthier and more connected for everyone. These changes are entirely within our grasp. It’s time we started thinking beyond a four-year election cycle and focused on ensuring our communities are prepared for the decades ahead.