OPINION | Transit in BC: A Vision of the Future

The following concepts are based on Marc Lee’s report Connecting BC: A Ten-Year Vision And Investment Plan For Public Transit Throughout BC, from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

See the full 44-page CCPA transit report here.

Photo Credit: City of Vancouver

The year is 2034. 

Every day, over a million British Columbians take public transit.

Metro Vancouver is criss-crossed with quick, frequent transit lines, including the Broadway Subway (2026), three new RapidBus routes (2027), and a SkyTrain extension to Surrey and Langley (2028). UBC students enjoy rapid SkyTrain transit to and from campus, while SFU students ride a gondola up Burnaby Mountain to their classes. The West Coast Express has been extended to Chilliwack. In order to pay for all this, Translink has accelerated its $21 billion Access for Everyone plan and made further investments in rapid transit, drawing on the federal Permanent Transit Fund.

Along with their car ferry fleet, BC Ferries has introduced a set of passenger vessels. Since they don’t need to accommodate cars, they have loads of space for passengers, carrying many more people per voyage and dramatically increasing the network’s capacity, while also costing less money for passengers and the government. Foot passengers board and disembark much more efficiently without having to wait for cars. Gone are the days of two-hour-long picnics at the ferry terminal while waiting to get on the boat. The most popular route is from Vancouver to Victoria, which takes only two hours due to the smaller, more nimble vessels. 

No longer are British Columbians forced to spend hours on the highway driving between cities. Instead of sliding perilously over the Coquihalla during the winter or being stuck in traffic on the Sea to Sky, they can take safe and comfortable passenger trains to destinations like Kelowna, Whistler, and even Prince George. 

Historical railway routes like the Squamish–Whistler–Prince George corridor and the Vancouver Island rail corridor from Victoria to Courtenay have been restored, with the existing infrastructure allowing for easier development. Even at its opening, the Island rail corridor broke even. Now, it generates considerable profits, bringing economic prosperity to the region. As part of reconciliation efforts, a considerable portion of these funds are being invested in First Nations communities whose land was unjustly taken away by land grants along the route between 1884 and 1910. 

The new line from Vancouver to Prince George allows for an easier commute to and from the growing city of Squamish and frees Whistler visitors from packed, hectic parking lots. Huge swathes of beautiful natural terrain along the entire corridor, but especially from Squamish to Pemberton, are made more accessible. More British Columbians go outside, enjoying the various physical and mental health benefits of our wild spaces.

During the transition towards the current rail network, BC Transit operated express bus routes along what were to become train lines. To service the many smaller routes that don’t require trains, BC Transit has continued to expand this network to more remote areas, tripling their bus fleet within ten years. These buses provide accessibility to often-overlooked communities, improving access to essential services such as health care. Along with these bus routes, the BC government has expanded the HandyDART door-to-door bus service for some seniors and those with disabilities. The program now services rural areas and First Nations communities more reliably.

These various transit types have been combined into one network run by the provincial government. This allows for access to all services with one ticket, and coordination of arrival times so that passengers aren’t left stranded. Connections between transport modes are easy and reliable, and information like transit routes and times are available through a streamlined application and website that makes route planning simple.

All of this has been paid for by multi-billion-dollar investments from the BC government. However, the costs of these new connections are not irrecuperable. Rather than taxpayer dollars thrown into a black hole, these are investments into a more prosperous future BC that are just now starting to reap their rewards. The new rail, bus, and ferry connections have brought increased tourism to every city or town at which a new station is built. The new travel destinations have developed and densified since transit arrived, and are now rapidly growing communities.

This new infrastructure requires maintenance and operation, providing BC with approximately 23,700 jobs per year. During construction of the network, around 16,700 jobs were created per year. Instead of working for private companies, transit professionals and tradespeople now possess generally higher-paying government positions with better benefits and job security.

British Columbia’s aging population looks to spend more time on transit and less time driving. Many seniors who are not inclined or able to drive take transit instead. A significant portion of the ridership on transit infrastructure consists of demographics that do not have easy access to a car, such as youth, students, migrant workers, and lower-income workers. However, as transit improves, many of those who are able to drive choose it as an easier and more cost-effective option. Those who do prefer to drive are pleasantly surprised by the lower traffic and faster travel times, since so many former drivers take transit now instead. Truckers find themselves with emptier roads, which decreases shipping times and costs, thus boosting BC’s economy. 

TransLink has further discounted transit for youth aged 13–18 and is considering providing youth with free transit, which is projected to cost $24 million per year. The proponents of this idea see it as a way to encourage public transit habits from a young age.

BC’s transport network, which previously emitted one-third of the province’s carbon emissions, is now more climate-friendly. The increased air quality has led to fewer cases of asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory diseases, thus reducing public health costs.

Finally, as more British Columbians choose transit, cars and their drivers are taken off the road, reducing car accidents and saving the lives, limbs, and livelihoods of countless pedestrians. According to a 2024 study conducted at the University of Edinburgh, cars have killed 60–80 million people since their invention, more than both World Wars combined. British Columbia in 2034 has taken steps to reverse that trend and continues to walk down the path of fewer pointless, avoidable automobile tragedies.

All of this is possible only because people in 2024 made the right choices. A modern transit network continues to vastly improve the lives of everyone. British Columbians from all walks of life, from a 15-year-old student in the heart of Downtown Vancouver to a 70-year-old former truck driver in Quesnel, are healthier, more productive, more affluent, safer, and happier.