LATEST data from TransLink shows the public is using transit more than ever before. For the nine months ending September 30, the number of average weekday journeys increased 6.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2016.
With the exception of February 2010 during the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, September 2017 saw a record-breaking month for ridership with 36 million transit boardings.
Ridership increased across all modes, except West Coast Express:
| Mode | September 2016 Boardings | September 2017 Boardings | Percentage change |
| Bus | 21.3 million | 22.0 million | Up 3.4% |
| Expo/Millennium Line | 8.3 million | 9.2 million | Up 10.6% |
| Canada Line | 3.9 million | 4.0 million | Up 4.6% |
| SeaBus | 0.48 million | 0.51 million | Up 6.1% |
| West Coast Express | 0.21 million | 0.19 million | Down 10.4% |
So far this year, there have been over 306 million boardings system-wide. We expect to surpass 400 million boardings in December 2017 as long as this trend continues.
Growth in ridership continues to be driven by a combination of increased transit service in the form of improvements funded through the 10-Year Vision and the introduction of the Millennium Line Evergreen Extension, a strong regional economy, high fuel prices and stable transit fares.
Regional Transportation Strategy
At Tuesday’s Greater Vancouver Board of Trade event, TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond announced that TransLink will launch its Regional Transportation Strategy in 2018. This strategy sets priorities for the next 30 years and helps plan how we can accommodate the one million more people coming to the region over the next three decades.
In his remarks, Desmond highlighted the need for further investment in transit and transportation improvements as part of the 10-Year Vision and beyond.
Additional facts:
- September average weekday boardings are up 6.9 per cent year over year.
- Average weekday boardings for the Evergreen Extension have grown to 34,000 per weekday – a 13 per cent increase over pre-summer levels.
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