With gas prices hovering around $1.50 if you are ditching the car and hopping on a bus, you’re not alone.
TransLink says ridership in the Metro Vancouver area is growing.
In a board meeting Thursday, TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond said high gas prices and economic growth are pushing up ridership in Metro Vancouver. Desmond said the area has seen a 5.7 per cent year-over-year increase in the number of boardings on the transit system.
Watch: TransLink report cites increased ridership
Metro Vancouver is among only four urban areas in North America with populations over one million which saw rider growth last year. Pheonix and Seattle were in second and third place.
The influx of bus riders is pushing TransLink to request proposals for 32 new double-decker buses following a four month long pilot project. The double-deckers should be up and running in mid 2019.
In 2017 the region saw a total of 407 million boardings, an increase on all modes except for the West Coast Express. The commuter train saw a decrease of 5.5 per cent.
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Desmond also said TransLink is looking into the possibility of washrooms at transit stations and allowing pets on board.
“They’re difficult issues, they’re complicated issues,” Desmond said.
The TransLink CEO says there’s been a lot of public comment and requests for washrooms at transit stations and pets allowed on board. Desmond says its about making all their customers feel comfortable and says they’re looking into the best practices for pets and washrooms throughout the transit industry.
“We are carrying everyone on our system, our buses, our trains and so forth and we want to make sure all of our customers are comfortable,” Desmond said.
He says TransLink will be looking in at these issues and will bring them to the board the next time they meet.
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