Metro Vancouver Transit Police say there has been an increase in vandalism of bus shelters across several municipalities in Metro Vancouver.
This includes Burnaby, New Westminster and Surrey, police said.
On Feb. 2, they were notified by Coast Mountain Bus Company that 14 bus shelters along 152nd Street, between 26th Avenue and 86th Avenue in Surrey, had their glass shattered with what is believed to be a small projectile.
Transit police said that investigative units have since identified similar vandalism in other municipalities.
To date, three dozen bus shelters have been identified that share similar patterns of vandalism, police added.
New Westminster’s manager of transportation, Mike Anderson, said the majority of bus shelters in the city are owned and maintained by Pattison Outdoor, and costs to repair or replace damaged infrastructure are incurred by them rather than the city.
“We are aware that there has been an increasing trend in damage to transit shelters across the region over the past five years, and particularly in the past few months,” Anderson said in a statement.
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“We are collaborating with Pattison Outdoor on shelters that are less prone to damage. The public can expect to see more shelters with metal mesh rather than glass in the coming years.”
In Coquitlam, the bus shelters are also owned and maintained by Pattison Outdoor.
In Vancouver, the city said bus shelter damage falls under the street furniture contract, which is held by Astral Media.
However, in Port Coquitlam, Dave Kidd, deputy director of Engineering and Public Works, said in a statement that the vandalism to bus shelters and stops has real costs for the community.
“In 2024 and 2025, the city saw about four to five city-owned shelters vandalized per year, with typical glass replacement costs averaging about $6,000 per shelter—roughly $27,000 annually in direct repair and replacement costs,” he said.
“This year, as of Feb. 24, 2026, we have already recorded five vandalism incidents affecting city-owned shelters.”
The City of Burnaby confirmed there were 126 incidents in 2025 and the costs to the city to address vandalism of shelters is approx. $100,000 annually.
Staff said they are now looking for affordable alternative materials and it also has a pilot project of installing vinyl wraps on bus shelter glass to reduce the effects of vandalism on bus shelter glass.
Transit police are asking anyone with information or video footage of any of the incidents to speak with investigators at 604-515-8300 or text 87.77.77.
Alternatively, anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers by calling 1.800.222.8477 or online at solvecrime.ca.
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