Link to Flickr image showing a man wearing a mask sitting on bus and looking out window (flickr.com)

Media Contacts

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

Media Relations
Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 356-8241

Backgrounders

Allocation of Safe Restart funding

On Sept. 18, 2020, the federal and provincial governments confirmed that TransLink, BC Transit and BC Ferries would share more than $1 billion under the federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement, which is cost shared 50-50 by both governments.

Contribution agreements with each agency have been finalized. $1.038 billion in Safe Restart funding will be allocated as follows:

TransLink:

TransLink is receiving one-time funding of $644 million. This not only helps ensure the people of the Lower Mainland have access to transit when they need it, but also that fares will be kept affordable.

  • $600 million will help cover expected 2020 and 2021 calendar fiscal year operational losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and help continue transit services as part of BC's Restart Plan.
  • $44 million will help ensure TransLink can limit average annual fare increases to 2.3% until the end of 2024.

BC Ferries:

BC Ferries is receiving one-time funding of $308 million:  

  • $280 million will help cover expected 2020-21 and 2021-22 fiscal year operational losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and help continue core ferry service levels as part of BC's Restart Plan.
  • $24 million to will help ensure BC Ferries can limit average annual fare increases to 2.3% until March 31, 2024, in line with the rate caps established by the BC Ferries regulator prior to the onset of the pandemic.
  • $4 million to help ensure continuation of discretionary sailings (those above contract levels that may have been discontinued due to COVID-19) on the minor and northern routes over the next three years.
  • Where appropriate, BC Ferries will aim to provide ridership capacity at 20% above anticipated demand on all routes (other than northern routes) to minimize sailing waits during peak times.

BC Transit:

BC Transit will receive $86 million to help support municipal partners that depend on fare revenues as part of the provincial-municipal partnership to deliver BC Transit services throughout the province. They, too, have been impacted by the pandemic.

  • The full contribution will help cover expected municipal partner losses in the near term caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which include added operational costs to maintain safe transit services.
  • The contribution will help municipal partners to limit average annual fare increases to 2.3% until March 31, 2024.
  • BC Transit will support BC's Restart Plan by maintaining essential service levels in all its service areas, including BC Bus North.