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1. Create a Fare-Free Transit system for GVRD

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   29 comments  ·  GC 2020 » Travel predominately by foot, bike, and transit  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
   AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

   Transit (and transit fares!) are controlled by TransLink, not the city. Having said that, reducing or eliminating transit fares is an interesting idea.

   Unfortunately it’s not very feasible, at least as TransLink is currently funded. Unlike most North American cities, Vancouver’s transit problems aren’t due to a lack of demand but rather a lack of capacity. Anyone who’s ever tried to squeeze onto one of our busy buses or trains knows this all too well — there isn’t enough space even when people have to pay, let alone accommodate the additional demand that would be created if transit were free. Compare this to cities with fare-free zones, which are typically struggling for increase demand, and which typically have (a) less frequent service and/or (b) plenty of extra capacity to accommodate more riders.

   In Vancouver, we need to provide more transit capacity to meet existing demand — and a LOT more capacity to meet our long term targets — and to do so we need to identify additional funding sources. On that front, some good news: in September 2010, the Province of BC and Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation signed an MOU opening the doors for possible new ways to help pay for transit.

   For more information on the MOU, visit http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2009-2013/2010PREM0169-001129.htm .

   Transit (and transit fares!) are controlled by TransLink, not the city. Having said that, reducing or eliminating transit fares is an interesting idea.

   Unfortunately it’s not very feasible, at least as TransLink is currently funded. Unlike most North American cities, Vancouver’s transit problems aren’t due to a lack of demand but rather a lack of capacity. Anyone who’s ever tried to squeeze onto one of our busy buses or trains knows this all too well — there isn’t enough space even when people have to pay, let alone accommodate the additional demand that would be created if transit were free. Compare this to cities with fare-free zones, which are typically struggling for increase demand, and which typically have (a) less frequent service and/or (b) plenty of extra capacity to accommodate more riders.

   In Vancouver, we need to provide more transit capacity to meet existing demand — and a LOT more… more

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   Kari Dow commented  ·  Sep 15, 2010  ·  Delete…

   Free transit is a no-brainer to me. For each person that takes public transit there is less congestion on the road, less pollution and more pressure on development to densify. All good things. When you take into account the huge amount that tax payers currently provide as a subsidy to car ownership (the $3 billion Port Mann Bridge comes to mind, as do health care costs) I bet that the marginal increase in taxes that would be required to expand free transit would be made up in savings from road expansion and the other economic impacts of car dependence within a year or two.

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   Kari Dow supported this idea  ·  Sep 15, 2010