TransLink ridership soars to all-time high in 2016

NEW WEST MINSTER (NEWS 1130) – If you think buses and SkyTrains are more crowded than ever, you wouldn’t be wrong.

TransLink says ridership was at its highest level ever in 2016.

There were over 384-million boardings, which is a 4.5 per cent jump from 2015’s total over nearly 363-million.

The ridership record was broken in 2015 as well. It’s hard to say why more and more people are using transit.

TransLink is pointing to the economic growth in our region and the low unemployment rate.

Chris Bryan with the group says the compass card may have also played a role.

“Just the convenience of Compass, having the card in your pocket. you might be walking down the street and you see a bus coming and think ‘it’s pretty convenient just to hop on’. Or you might make more connections between bus and SkyTrain, that kind of thing as well.”

Bryan suspects that and the low unemployment rate could be a driving factor.

“Definitely an economy that is doing very well means people are moving around more in the region. They’re shopping more, they’re going to work, they’re just more active in general.”

We did see the Evergreen Line open in 2016, but not until close to the end of the year.

TransLink expects an increase this year as well as a result.

There was also a major jump when the Canada Line opened in 2009.

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