The TransLink Board of Directors will consider increasing Metro Vancouver transit fares this Thursday.
With help from the BC Safe Restart Agreement, the proposed increase to fares would be an average of 2.3 per cent instead of the originally planned 4.1 per cent increase.
This new proposed fare increase will be considered by the TransLink Board of Directors on Thursday (March 25).
Annual fare increases were approved and planned for in 2017 as part of the 10-Year Mayors’ Vision to help pay for transit expansion projects.
"An annual increase of 4.6 per cent and 4.1 per cent were originally planned for in 2020 and 2021 as part of Phase Two of the Mayors’ Vision," a spokesperson for TransLink tells Vancouver Is Awesome in an emailed statement.
"To provide economic relief to our customers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned 4.6 per cent increase to fares in 2020 was cancelled. 100% of the revenue gained from fare increases goes toward regional transit expansion."
The transportation agency says ridership on its system has been around 40 per cent of 2019 levels since the summer of 2020.
New ridership projection scenarios based on factors such as the vaccine rollout and possible returns to work and school will be presented at the Thursday board meeting.
