Free transit? Frequent transit? What if free-quent transit?

Sponsored by

Good morning!

Welcome to the first Vancity Lookout newsletter of autumn. The sun is setting sooner. The weather is getting colder. It’s going to rain more. There are no exits. (Unless you’re one of those lucky birds who flies south for the winter.) We are in this together. Re-up your Netflix subscription, and put together your winter watchlist. Get out your stew recipes. Find your slippers and long johns.

But also, tomorrow looks like it’s going to be nice out, so enjoy that. Enjoy every sunny, warm day like you won’t see the sun again until the spring. Hold onto the city before it is claimed by the clouds and the rain.

Anyway.

Today, we’ve got a deep dive into a campaign promise from the BC Greens — Should/Could/Would we have free public transit? Read on to get the details!

—Dustin Godfrey, freelancer 

PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free.

WEATHER

Monday: 21 🌡️ 15 | 🌤️/🌧️

Tuesday: 22 🌡️ 14 | ☀️

Wednesday: 15 🌡️ 12 | 🌧️

TRANSIT

Free transit? Frequent transit? What if free-quent transit?

What’s up: The BC Green Party announced recently that it would, if it formed government, make public transit free, an idea that got attention in the 24-hour news cycle, but which quickly died out. So we decided to take a closer look at the idea — where it comes from, what it could mean, what are the alternatives, and how do they balance out?

• In thinking more deeply about the idea of free transit, we’ll leave aside the fact that the BC Greens are the least homogenous party in the province, and election promises may not be as attainable as in other parties. Where other parties are more strict with whipped votes, the BC Greens have a more lax approach to party discipline.

Background: In announcing the policy earlier this month, BC Greens Leader Sonia Furstenau said transit “is a gift.” “It’s a gift of time. It’s a gift of freedom. It’s a gift of mobility,” she told CBC. But while the idea is likely intriguing to many, others have been skeptical of this kind of a policy.

• In the same CBC article, Environmental Defence clean transportation manager Nate Wallace noted that TransLink already has a significant funding gap between what income the transit provider has and what it needs to operate — in all, TransLink is expected to face a $600-million funding gap starting in 2026.

How much would it cost? A backgrounder provided by the BC Greens notes TransLink and BC Transit raised $745.8 million in operational funding, including fares, advertising and other programs, such as the U-Pass system. That includes about $672 million for TransLink and $74 million for BC Transit, and it’s out of a total of $2.62 billion and $409 million in revenue for the two, respectively.

• Taxation and government transfers each already outpace operating revenue for both transit authorities, with fares making up 26% of TransLink’s total revenue and 18% of BC Transit’s. That’s far lower than the 50% in New York, 40% in Chicago and 62% in San Francisco.

The BC Greens would cover that gap, the backgrounder says, by “reprioritizing existing funding,” including requiring half of transportation ministry funding to be spent on public transit. The backgrounder says $420 million, meanwhile, would be funded through the provincial budget, and it adds there would be reduced operational expenses from ticketing systems and transit police.

Why do it? The BC Greens frame the pledge as an initiative that, “evens the playing field” with car drivers, which the government, the backgrounder claims, spends $800 per capita on subsidizing, compared to $215 on local transit and $50 on sidewalks and cycling infrastructure. And the party says it could reduce the burden on households, which spend 14.5% of their income on transportation each year, the vast majority going towards private transportation.

Not groundbreaking: The BC Greens point to two particular jurisdictions as success stories for free public transit, but there are some issues with those two jurisdictions. The first is Luxembourg: While it appears to have proved popular, according to Euronews, and it seems to have reduced the country’s car dependence, it also happens to be one of the wealthiest countries per capita on Earth.

• The second is Washington, DC. And this is a strange choice for the BC Greens to go with as an example of free public transit “working well.” That’s because free public transit didn’t work well in Washington. In fact, it didn’t work at all. The program was delayed due to budget shortfalls, as the transit agency projected a $750-million deficit in 2025, according to CNN.

Other jurisdictions: That being said, other jurisdictions have, in fact, implemented fare-free transit. In Kansas City, the policy seems to have been very successful. A survey of transit riders by the Urban League of Greater Kansas City saw wide agreement (88-92%) that, with fare-free transit, shopping for food and other essentials was more accessible; they rode the bus more; access to healthcare improved; they pursued personal goals; and they saw loved ones more often.

• The report where the survey was published characterized transit fares as a regressive tax, and it notes that removing the fare puts that money “to work in household budgets and in the local economy.” In all, the report notes free transit improves quality of life, increased ridership, sped up boarding time and improved transit operator safety “by eliminating the source of 90% of driver-involved disturbances.”

But: Kansas City, however, already only attributed about 11% of its transit revenue from fares in 2019, before the free transit initiative, with 75% from local funds, according to the Federal Transit Administration. The transit system was faced with a significant funding gap this year, however, as federal funds that went towards maintaining transit during the pandemic have dried up.

• The city extended the free transit program for another year, according to local public radio station KCUR, while studying “functional free fare” — a phrase even city councillors can’t define.

International group’s report: The International Association of Public Transport published a report in September 2020 looking at the experiences of those jurisdictions. The report leans against it, suggesting instead that reduced fees for low-income individuals or “solidarity pricing” could provide the benefits sought by free transit.

• The report makes some compelling counterpoints to the arguments that free transit would make mobility more seamless (tap cards like the Compass Card help with that), or that free transit would reduce congestion (increases in transit use tend not to be matched by decreases in car use, suggesting it’s less drivers who are taking advantage of the programs and more people who otherwise use active transportation modes).

Means testing: The point the report makes against the practice improving social inclusion and affordability isn’t particularly strong, however, arguing that some demographics already get lower rates, and while free transit “may bring additional advantage to those user groups,” the larger benefit would be to those who pay the full rate, “creating an equity issue.” 

• Means testing sounds positive, but it creates a number of problems, including adding a costly bureaucracy and forcing those who need a program to jump through onerous hoops to access it, as argued in Vox. It also typically relies on a previous year’s income tax to measure need, and one’s income can slightly exceed the threshold one year, while the next they may fall well below — if they get laid off, for instance.

Improving service: Some transit advocates have argued the more important barrier to people using transit is the quality of service. For instance, a route may be services too infrequently, or getting to where a person needs may take too long if it’s awkward for transit routes.

• “It would cost a whole lot of money that probably would be better spent on service improvements if the goal is to grow ridership,” Wallace told the CBC, noting that while there are examples of free transit, this isn’t the case for transit systems the size of Metro Vancouver’s.

Improving convenience: Wallace argued the province could instead invest in bus lanes and increasing the frequency of service, making public transit more convenient to drive up ridership. The BC Greens’ platform does mention increasing transit access, with a goal of doubling bus service within four years, at a cost of $300 million a year, and tripling it within eight years.

• The $300-million figure, the BC Greens say, comes from doubling the operating budget of BC Transit “because the need for additional buses is most acute outside Vancouver.” This, however, raises questions about whether the doubling of buses would actually be doubling buses or just doubling the buses outside Metro Vancouver.

What does the BC NDP say? Not much, yet. The closest thing on the platform page on their website is a panel called “Investing in homes, transportation and technology,” but this panel only references investments in roads and bridges. A release earlier this year mentioned bridge funding to keep transit going during the pandemic, making transit free for kids under 12 and expansions of rapid transit routes over the last seven years, but no forward-looking pledges.

And the Conservatives? Their plan, titled “No more billion-dollar bailouts,” is to audit TransLink; to address overcrowded routes; to provide two years of stop-gap funding for the transit service to develop a “sustainable funding model addressing financial mismanagement, overcrowding, and capacity issues”; to expedite the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain line; and to demand more funding from the federal government.

• The BC Conservatives’ platform notes the province has spent $1.7 billion across various funding announcements since 2020 to address shortfalls in TransLink, and it points to an increase in ridership in 2023 compared to 2022. But it doesn’t acknowledge the effect of the pandemic — nor does it acknowledge that 2023 still saw lower ridership than before the pandemic, according to a third-party review published a month prior.

My take: The notion of expanding service as a larger barrier is compelling. One example of this is a route I take to some volunteer work I do. To get there by bus functionally takes 45 minutes out of my day, due to frequency and speed. I’ve recently started taking a Lime bike to a location about seven blocks away (the closest I can park the bikes) and walking from there, and it reduces the trip to half an hour, though it costs a couple bucks more.

• But that doesn’t mean you can’t do both. And while expanding service would address some barriers, it doesn’t address an important barrier for a lot of people who can’t afford to get around the city like they should. I think the two should be viewed not as two sides of the same coin, but as separate issues entirely, as one is about increasing ridership, and the other is about poverty reduction with the potential benefit of increasing ridership.

Reality check: Still, the BC Greens haven’t inspired a lot of confidence in the pitch, given its reliance on Washington, DC as an example of successful free transit and given its proposed cost of “doubling” the number of buses is calculated only by doubling the cost of transit outside Metro Vancouver.

SPONSORED BY THE TYEE

The Election Stories You Won’t Find Anywhere Else

Confused about what’s happening in B.C.? Make sense of the political moment by subscribing to The Run. The Tyee’s award-winning election newsletter is back, aiming its laser focus on the political future of the west coast. Twice weekly this fall we’ll bring you the story behind the headlines, and break down key election themes happening across the province.

It’s a free newsletter full of smart voices unpacking key issues, fact-checking politicians and exposing disinformation to clarifying light. Know what’s at stake when you cast your vote by subscribing today to The Run.

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

🗳️ 3: We are now this many days into the provincial election, with Day 2 seeing the BC NDP and BC Conservatives both focusing on Metro Vancouver — though neither Eby nor Rustad were set to make stops in Vancouver itself. [CTV]

🚌 18: HandyDART workers were on strike for this many days after reaching a tentative deal with Transdev, the company operating HandyDART late last week. [Global]

🪑 93: The BC legislature will seat this many representatives after the election, with six new seats after a new electoral map was drawn up. The redistricting was triggered by the 2021 census, and it includes four more seats in the Metro Vancouver area, including one in Vancouver city. [CTV]

THE AGENDA

🧑‍🚒 Firefighters were able to quickly put out a fire in a heritage home at West 10th Ave and Columbia St over the weekend, but the house still suffered “extensive” fire and water damage. [CTV]

🔥 A video shows a fire was set in a Gastown alleyway, causing an explosion just as a man was walking by, knocking the man to the ground. He is believed not to have been seriously injured. Residents were able to put the fire mostly out by the time firefighters arrived. [Global]

📱 A Vancouver parent is one of several across the country looking to connect parents who pledge not to buy their children smartphones until they turn 14. The group has received 500 pledges so far, with the parent saying more parents are starting to reconsider giving their children devices. [CBC]

💡 Vancouver city council is set to debate a proposal to not illuminate city hall to honour other countries. The program, which has been in place since 2016, drew criticism for blue and white lights commemorating Israel’s independence day — known to Palestinians as the Nakba, or “catastrophe” — in May. A staff report is recommending an end to the practice. [Vancouver Sun]

🏥 A mother whose son died of an overdose in January says she tried for eight years to get him put into involuntary treatment, saying the promise by the BC NDP to expand the practice in BC too late for him. [Vancouver Sun]

EVENTS

Democracy Noir | The Cinemateque or Vancity Theatre | Sep. 30, Oct. 1 | This documentary on the decline of democracy in Hungary feels… relevant. | Tickets $19

Vancouver Whitecaps | BC Place | Sep. 25 & 28, Oct. 2 & 5 | Just four home games left in the season! | Tickets $29

Werk in Progress Drag Lunch | Burgoo on Burrard | Sep. 29, 12 pm | Have a fabulous lunch and celebrate creativity, community and good food | Tickets $17

Oktoberfest at Junction Public Market | 200 Granville St | Sep. 27-29 | Live entertainment, traditional European foods and, yes, beer | Tickets $12 in advance

P.L.U.R.O.M.A. | Polygon Gallery | Sep. 26 | Peace Love Unity Respect Oxygen Music and Autonomy, a multimedia fashion show, closes out the Anti-Icon: Apokalypsis exhibition | Tickets $30

Kitsilano Marketplace Artisan Market | 2966 W 4th Ave | Thursdays to Sundays until Oct. 31 | An opportunity to check out some local artisans, listen to music, eat at some food trucks or enjoy the beer garden | Free admission

Street Free Lunch at Cadillac Fairview | South side of the Vancouver Art Gallery | Every Wednesday in September, 12 pm-2 pm | Get a free lunch from some of Vancouver’s best food trucks

VIFF Live: Eno | Playhouse | Sun. Sep 29, 6:00 pm | Join VIFF for the Vancouver Premiere of Eno, the world’s first generative documentary, celebrating the visionary artist and musician Brian Eno. Created live in real time, this version will never be seen again. | Learn more

Harvest Days | VanDusen Botanical Garden | Weekends, Sep. 28 to Oct. 20 | Tasty treats, a seasonal veggie maze, activities and entertainment at your favourite garden | Tickets $14

Monster Jam | PNE | Sep. 28-29 | If the botanical garden is too peaceful for you, maybe monster trucks are more your speed | Tickets $22

GOOD NEWS

Start your day off with some good news:

Guichon Creek in Burnaby, which feeds into Still Creek, is an ancient waterway that was buried by the construction of BCIT in the 1960s — one of dozens of salmon-spawning creeks that have been paved over by development over the years. This one, however, has recently been resurfaced by the school’s Rivers Institute with hopes salmon will return. [CBC]

PHOTO OF THE DAY

A view of downtown from the Shipyards Festival.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• The Canucks have some new speed behind them. [CTV]

• This Japanese restaurant is serving up what is one of the city’s best and most affordable chicken katsu sandwiches. [Vancity Lookout]

• Thinking of ramen? Here are some ideas. [Vancouver Sun]

• Dating? In this election? [The Tyee]

• A road connecting UBC to Vancouver is closing briefly for a film shoot. [CTV]

QUIZ

Today’s quiz question that you can find in the newsletter — how many seats will there be in BC’s legislature after the election? Reply with the correct answer and your name to be featured in the newsletter.