MENU
SEARCHThe data released by the agency is part of the newly released 2023 Transit Service Performance Review, which details last year’s ridership trends across Metro Vancouver.
TransLink is addressing overcrowding in the short-term through the recently approved 2024 Investment Plan.
Photo: TransLink
New data from TransLink shows that Metro Vancouver’s strong ridership recovery and population growth has led to unprecedented overcrowding for bus riders, which has now returned to what the region experienced prior to the pandemic.
The data is part of the newly released 2023 Transit Service Performance Review (TSPR), which details last year’s ridership trends across Metro Vancouver.
“Metro Vancouver’s population is growing rapidly, and so is crowding on our buses,” says TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn. “The 2024 Investment Plan will provide important short-term relief for customers, but we need commitments for long-term support that will help us keep up with population growth.”
TransLink's ridership by season.
Photo: TransLink
TransLink is addressing overcrowding in the short-term through the recently approved 2024 Investment Plan, which is a stopgap plan to increase bus service on the 60 most overcrowded bus routes, expand bus service hours, increase Canada Line frequencies, enhance late-night HandyDART service, and provide earlier SeaBus sailings.
Longer-term, the agency says more investment is needed to address TransLink’s structural funding gap and to progress major transit expansion through the 10-Year Access for Everyone Plan.
TransLink’s 2023 systemwide bus trends include:
The equivalent of one-third of Metro Vancouver’s population used transit at least once per week to move around the region.
Annual journeys across the system totaled 233.24 million in 2023, a 20.5% increase over 2022.
In fall 2023, TransLink served 430,000 different customers on an average weekday, and approximately 900,000 different customers per week.
Ridership is up on every mode TransLink operates.
Photo: TransLink
TransLink is also releasing a separate deep dive into 2023 HandyDART service through the annual HandyDART Service Performance Review.
Some key findings include:
In 2023, 1,176,000 HandyDART trips were delivered, up 22% from 2022.
HandyDART customers continued using the service for critical services like dialysis treatments (14% of trips), day programs (35% of trips), or other medical appointments (16% of trips).
99.6% of trips requested by HandyDART customers were delivered in 2023.
HandyDART’s on-time performance continued to be strong, with 91% of all trips arriving on-time.
The changes are designed to reduce overall travel time, shorten wait times, and get customers to their destinations more quickly.
Read More →
The visit is part of the SF Fed's ongoing engagement with major employers and industries across Southern California and, more broadly, the western U.S. to better understand regional economic conditions and business outlooks.
Read More →
Advances in data and analytics are giving transit agencies new opportunities to refine maintenance practices, improve efficiency and make more informed decisions about asset performance.
Read More →
Today’s riders—and the communities you serve—expect more from public transit. While ADA compliance is required, leading transit agencies know that true accessibility also means delivering dignity, efficiency, and a better rider experience. This whitepaper reveals why forward thinking agencies nationwide choose the Low Floor Frontrunner as their first choice for ADA compliant vehicles—setting a new standard with passenger first design, faster boarding, improved safety, and unmatched operational performance.
Read More →
In Part 2 of a two-part conversation, AC Transit’s director of maintenance joins co-hosts Alex Roman and Mark Hollenbeck to discuss his maintenance team’s work with various types of vehicle, training, augmented reality, and more.
Read More →
Under this extension, Keolis will continue to manage and operate fixed-route bus service across the East Valley, serving communities including Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, the town of Gilbert, parts of Phoenix, and the Gila River Indian Community.
Read More →
The new network reflects extensive input from riders and the community through Reimagine DART on what matters most in public transit — and those priorities are reflected in the changes ahead.
Read More →
A new bus lane project aims to improve reliability on one of King County Metro’s busiest and most congestion-prone corridors.
Read More →
While recognizing regional economic constraints and continuing to improve service, the budget increases the jurisdictional subsidy to less than 1.8%, significantly below the inflation rate and the 3% regional target, said agency officials.
Read More →
Coalition leaders outline priorities for preserving bus funding, maintaining competitive grants, and ensuring flexibility for transit agencies nationwide.
Read More →