By: Mason Mattu, SFU Student
On September 5, the BC Green Party proposed a new transit policy to make BC operate on a fare-free public transit system.
“Fast, frequent, and free public transit will shift how people move, reduce household costs, and enable a giant leap forward on meeting our climate goals,” said Sonia Furstenau, leader of the BC Green Party. The Greens have also called for “hourly services on key regional routes, a doubling of city buses within four years, and a tripling within eight years.
“We will expand routes, improve hours, get more buses on the road, and make buses a reliable and easy choice for travel across the province,” stated Furstenau. “By investing in public transit, we’re putting more money back into people’s hands [ . . . ] and building a better quality of life for everyone.”
Since September 1, 2021, TransLink’s Get on Board program has offered free transit for youth under the age of 12. Compass Card fees for adults are currently $4.90 for three zones, $3.85 for two zones, and $2.60 for one zone. Monthly passes are $193.80 for three zones, $143.50 for two zones, and $107.30 for one zone. UPass is currently $184 each term at SFU from summer 2024 to spring 2025.
The Greens stated the provincial government would have to increase expenditure on transit for the next few years. They explained they would increase taxes for wealthy individuals, create a more equitable carbon tax system, and ensure that corporations pay an adequate price for their emissions. The carbon tax is a “charge placed on greenhouse gas pollution mainly from burning fossil fuels.” Companies benefit from loopholes in the carbon tax system through carbon offsets.
The Greens also stated the investment would pay off in the long run by mitigating climate change and “the rising costs of fossil fuel dependency.”
In a recent Vancouver is Awesome article, the authors said the time has come for a new transit funding model that can “shift away from the fare box.” Although this policy has been welcomed by some, others are not convinced it will work.
“It’s not realistic, unless the party is proposing such a significant increase in government revenue, that they would be able to pay a very significant expenditure that would be required to make transit free,” stated Port Coquitlam mayor Brad West in an interview with CBC. “It would require a significant increase in taxation right across the board.”
West explained that TransLink gains a profit from fares, the fuel tax, and property taxes paid to the provincial government. For every litre of fuel people fill their vehicles with in the TransLink service region, 18.5 cents go to TransLink. A “portion of property taxes collected in the region” also supports transit. TransLink stated they are currently “facing a funding gap of approximately $600 million each year.” If they do not receive an increase in their budget from the government by the end of 2025, British Columbians could see a “significant” cut in transit service across the board.
Another criticism of the proposed policy is that the Greens have only considered TransLink, which operates in the Lower Mainland. As transit operates under BC Transit in other areas of the province, riders are concerned that the plan may not create fare-free transit outside TransLink’s operating boundaries.
The BC Conservatives and BC NDP have also promised more funding for transit. John Rustad, leader of the Conservatives, has promised to extend the SkyTrain to Newton in Surrey and create a reliable funding system for TransLink. David Eby, BC Premier and leader of the NDP, has promised free transit for seniors in non-peak hours and the expansion of the Broadway Subway Project further to UBC. The BC NDP also promise “rapid transit to the North Shore and commuter rail services in the Fraser Valley.”
Election day is October 19.
