If approved by the TransLink Board and Mayors’ Council, the plan will also see significant increases in service on some of the region’s busiest routes.
Metro Vancouver’s transit and transportation authority has revealed details of its plan to boost service south of the Fraser River if a new funding package is approved.
TransLink is collecting public feedback on the proposed 2025 Investment Plan, which will avert major cuts to service until at least 2028, and slash the agency’s operating deficit in half.
The plan is built on an infusion of $312 million in provincial cash, fare and airport surcharge increases, an 0.5 per cent 2025 property tax and a 5 per cent increase in off-street parking taxes.
1:51
Rally supporting more funding for TransLink
If approved by the TransLink Board and Mayors’ Council, the plan will also see significant increases in service on some of the region’s busiest routes.
“What we have heard loud and clear from residents and businesses in Surrey is that they want more transit service,” TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn told Global News.
“We are going to be increasing service in 25 routes in Surrey, as well as adding service to industrial parks where we have heard from business leaders, elected officials, that we need new service.”
The plan includes new routes serving the Campbell Heights, Gloucester and Tilbury industrial areas in Surrey, Delta and Langley.
It also includes a new route serving South Newton and upgrades to several others, along with increased bus frequency on 25 others.
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Transportation planner on addressing TransLink’s funding gap
“I used to work for TransLink and I remember all the complaints we would get about some of these routes, even 10 years ago — or the lack of service,” said Denis Agar, executive director of transit advocacy group Movement YVR.
Agar said the new routes are good news, but that the increased bus frequency on other routes will be even more important.
“Surrey has been dealing with just obscene overcrowding on transit, and they’ve had big increases in the last few years but actually that makes the service more attractive so more people come,” he said.
“So this new service in the form of higher frequency on exiting routes is really going to make a lot of people’s lives easier so they are no longer seeing ‘sorry bus full.’”
TransLink has been grappling with a $600 million annual operating deficit which it attributes to a decline in gas tax revenue, inflation and stagnant transit fares, and had warned of massive cuts to service starting in 2026 without a funding solution.
Quinn acknowledged that the new investment plan doesn’t completely solve TransLink’s operating budget puzzle, but that the province has committed to helping develop a more permanent fix.
“Part of this investment plan does include a commitment from the provincial government to introduce a new revenue source in 2027,” he said.
“We’re going to be working with them over the next few years on exactly what that revenue source is, but it’s the introduction of that new revenue source that should help us solve for the long term.”
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New federal money for Metro Vancouver transit funding
Following a public feedback period, the TransLink Board and Mayors’ Council will vote on the investment plan on April 30.
You can weigh in on the investment plan at TransLink’s website.
Full list of proposed South of the Fraser transit improvements
Campbell Heights (Surrey)
- Route would operate between White Rock Centre and Willowbrook Shopping Centre
- Route would function in addition to the existing 531 bus
Gloucester (Township of Langley)
- Route would operate between Langley City Centre and the Gloucester Industrial Area
Tilbury (Delta)
- Route would operate between Scott Road Station and Ladner Exchange via Highway 17
- Route would function in addition to the existing 640 bus.
88th Avenue (Surrey/Langley)
- Proposal to upgrade the existing 388 so that customers have access to this service all day, instead of just during peak hours
- Would improve east/west connections for riders living near 88 Avenue, provide service to the Port Kells industrial area
- Route would operate along 88 Avenue between Carvolth Exchange and 22nd Street for customers in Surrey, Langley, and New Westminster.
68th Avenue (Surrey)
- New route to serve the growing area of South Newton between Scottsdale and Newton Exchange along 68 Avenue
Campbell Valley (Township of Langley)
- Proposed summer seasonal extension to route 563 to serve Campbell Valley Regional Park
Centennial Beach (Delta)
- Proposed extension of Route 619 to the beach to provide customers better access during the summer
Improved service frequencies on the following 25 routes:
- R1 (KING GEORGE BOULEVARD – GUILDFORD)
- 301 (NEWTON EXCHANGE / BRIGHOUSE STATION)
- 310 (SCOTTSDALE / LADNER)
- 312 (SCOTTSDALE / SCOTT ROAD STATION)
- 314 (SURREY CENTRAL / SUDBURY)
- 321 (WHITE ROCK / NEWTON / SURREY CENTRAL STATION)
- 322 (NEWTON EXCHANGE / SCOTTSDALE)
- 324 (NEWTON EXCHANGE / SURREY CENTRAL STATION)
- 325 (NEWTON EXCHANGE / SURREY CENTRAL STATION)
- 329 (SURREY CENTRAL STATION / SCOTTSDALE)
- 335 (NEWTON / SURREY CENTRAL STATION)
- 341 (GUILDFORD / NEWTON EXCHANGE)
- 342 (LANGLEY CENTRE / NEWTON EXCHANGE)
- 345 (KING GEORGE STATION / WHITE ROCK CENTRE)
- 360 (OCEAN PARK / PEACE ARCH HOSPITAL)
- 371 (SURREY CENTRAL / SCOTT ROAD STATION)
- 373 (SURREY CENTRAL / SCOTT ROAD STATION)
- 375 (WHITE ROCK / GUILDFORD)
- 393 (NEWTON EXCHANGE / SURREY CENTRAL STATION)
- 501 (LANGLEY CENTRE / SURREY CENTRAL STATION)
- 561 (LANGLEY CENTRE / BROOKSWOOD)
- 562 (LANGLEY CENTRE / WALNUT GROVE)
563 (LANGLEY CENTRE / FERNRIDGE) - 595 (MAPLE MEADOWS STATION / LANGLEY CENTRE)
- 601 (SOUTH DELTA / BOUNDARY BAY / BRIDGEPORT
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