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Media Contacts

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

Media Relations
British Columbia Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 356-8241

Moira Kelly

Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
moira.kelly@canada.ca
819 271-6218

Backgrounders

Transportation agencies’ Safe Restart funding

TransLink:

  • TransLink serves 2.5 million people in Metro Vancouver and works in partnership with the region’s 21 municipalities, Electoral Area ‘A’ and the Tsawwassen First Nation.
  • In early April 2020, TransLink ridership had dropped by 83%.
  • One-time federal/provincial Safe Restart funding of $644 million will help close TransLink’s projected COVID-19 related operating funding gap in 2020 and 2021. 
  • This funding will also offset additional revenue losses by keeping fares as low as possible for transit users during pandemic recovery.
  • Safe Restart funding will also help ensure that TransLink has sufficient operating and financing resources to help manage any further negative developments in the near term. 

BC Transit:

  • BC Transit serves 1.8 million people in over 130 communities outside Metro Vancouver and works in partnership with 58 different local government partners.
  • In early April 2020, BC Transit ridership levels throughout  the province had dropped by an average of 75%.
  • One-time federal/provincial Safe Restart funding of $86 million will help close a projected COVID-19 related operating funding gap for BC Transit’s local government partners in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
  • This funding will also help ensure that local government partners are able to keep fares as low as possible for transit users during pandemic recovery.
  • Safe Restart funding will also help ensure that BC Transit has sufficient operating and financing resources to help manage any further negative developments in the near term. 

BC Ferries:

  • BC Ferries serves nearly 22 million passengers and 8.8 million vehicles through 180,000 sails over 25 routes.
  • Ferry traffic is at 80% of seasonal norms.
  • With this funding, it is expected service levels will meet or exceed the minimum service levels set out in the Coastal Ferry Services contract with the Province.
  • One-time federal/provincial Safe Restart funding of $308 million will help close BC Ferries’ projected COVID-19 related operating funding gap in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
  • This funding will also offset additional revenue losses by keeping fares as low as possible for ferry users during pandemic recovery.
  • In addition, Safe Restart funding will ensure discretionary sailings on minor routes remain in place over the next three years so people have a ferry service and schedule that they can depend on.
  • Safe Restart funding will also help ensure BC Ferries has sufficient operating and financing resources to help manage any further negative developments in the near term.