TransLink's board of directors and the mayors' council on April 30 approved an investment plan that will see property taxes for median households go up by $20 in 2025 and a fare increase of 14 cents for the average trip as of July 2026.
Also, off-street parking taxes will increase to 29 per cent from 24 per cent – about 40 cents on a $10 parking fee. The YVR AddFare fee will also increase by $1.50 in July 2026 for trips leaving Sea Island.
These will help fund the largest increase in bus service – by five per cent more – since 2018, advance Bus Rapid Transit programs and help reduce TransLink's structural deficit of more than $600 million annually. With the plan's approval TransLink's operations will be fully funded through 2027 and cut its deficit by nearly half starting in 2028.
Moreover, the investment plan will create new bus routes in eight areas currently without transit and improve transit service in six under-served areas. It will allow for more service along 50 overcrowded bus routes.
Notably, there will be a new bus route in Campbell Heights, in addition to the 531, which will run between White Rock Centre and Willowbrook Shopping Centre; a new route serving Delta's Tilbury industrial park, in addition to the 640, to run between Scott Road Station and Ladner Exchange by way of Highway 17; and a new route serving the Township of Langley's Gloucester industrial area, to run between it and Langley City Centre.
Sarah Ross, TransLinks's vice-president of planning, said the plan will provide relief from overcrowding on up to 50 of the busiest bus routes.
"I want to note that despite expanding service by more than 30 per cent south of the Fraser over the past few years, overcrowding continues to be a very significant problem," she noted. "That's why nearly half of this additional service will go towards adding more service south of the Fraser, meaning more service on King George Boulevard, 88 Avenue, Fraser Highway and all major corridors in Surrey."
Brad West, chairman of the mayors' council, said TransLink and senior levels of government need to be "bold and courageous" in developing a new funding model that reduces reliance on fares and property taxes "if we want to avoid the repetitive nature of every two or three years having a panic and trying to come to a band-aid agreement."
