While transit use dipped across Metro Vancouver, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows saw increased ridership in 2022, according to a TransLink report.
The report, published January 26, was presented at the Talk with TransLink event hosted by the Chamber of Commerce serving Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.
According to subregional data collected by TransLink, ridership in Ridge Meadows was at 101 per cent of 2019 levels.
On weekends, ridership was at 109 per cent of 2019 levels.
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A major factor for this increase is the introduction of the R3 Lougheed Highway RapidBus in early 2020, said Kevin Quinn, CEO of TransLink.
Other factors that resulted in the increase are increased industrial jobs in the area and connecting buses, making public transport more accessible for riders, said Mark Halpin, Manager of Transportation with the City of Maple Ridge.
The ridership recovery map shows boarding trends from late 2022 compared to pre-pandemic ridership.
Due to increasing demand in the subregion, a 1 per cent increase in Annual Service Hours has already been reallocated between April 2020 and January 2023.
Although ridership is at 84 per cent of pre-pandemic levels overall, to continue providing transport services, employment and to fill the revenue gap, TransLink has asked for additional financial support from the provincial and federal government.
“If relief funding is not provided, it would implicate capital projects and result in reduced transit service,” said Quinn.
He shared that the transportation company invested $1.2 million in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows in 2022.
A RapidBus between Langley and Haney Place via 200th Street and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) between Langley and Haney Place is part of the ten-year priorities plan of TransLink.
BRT will have a dedicated lane for transit signal priority, eliminating transit delays due to traffic congestion. It will be level ground boarding, similar to SkyTrain and offer spacious, comfortable and zero emissions transportation.
Currently, studies are being conducted to determine the routes best suited for BRT and work on the project will begin in 2024.
