As Mike Harcourt, former Premier of BC, has said before, out transit system is “half-assed”. We have reasonable bus service in Vancouver, but only 30 minute frequencies South of the Fraser. We have two fantastic, frequent, and fast rapid transit lines (SkyTrain), that span half the region, but they fail to bring in the projected ridership levels because it’s not a full network yet. The Metro Vancouver region has several waterways and numerous railways that are barely used at all for transit service. It’s time to finish our transit system. Transit should work for 90% of the population, not 10%.

Metro Vancouver is the third largest urban region in Canada with 2.1 million people; an increase of 750,000 in the past 20 years - that's larger than the population of New Brunswick. It is projected to grow to 3 million by 2031. Automobile registration has increased 12.5% in the past five years, meaning an increase of 3.25 vehicles every hour. These current and future residents will need to move around the region. Unless we plan to pave over acres of land, the transit system will have to be attractive enough to bring in hundreds of thousands of these people.

The roads are already clogged. Commuting times have increased by 30% in the past 10 years. The Port Mann bridge faces congestion 13 hours every day. The time spent alone in a car in traffic has heavy societal and sociological effects. If our transit system can take people where they want to go, quickly, conveniently, and safely, why bother spending so much time in front of a wheel?

This road congestion also puts a heavy burden on our economy. Transport Canada estimates the economic impact of congestion on all traffic in the region is up to $1.5 billion per year, with the rising costs of delivering goods and services eventually passed on to consumers. We need to get residents our of their single-occupancy vehicles to free up road space for goods movement and into an attractive transit system. It is essential for the success of our cities, region, province, and country.

42% of our Province's greenhouse gas emission comes from transportation. All the cars are taking a huge toll on our environment and on our health. With the advent of climate change, we all must work together to reduce our carbon footprints. Furthermore, with the new provincial greenhouse gas legally binding targets, dramatic changes will have to take place to cut down emissions from transportation. Vast investments into green transit will be required for us to achieve these targets and improve the Earth's, and our, overall wellbeing.

Ontario has recently moved forward with a $20 billion project, including Toronto’s Transit City plan, to vastly expand subway, light rail, commuter rail, rapid bus, and more throughout the Golden Horseshoe Region. Surely, BC can do the same. This means funding. Lots of funding.

Let’s complete our rapid transit system so that anyone can travel anywhere in the region - quickly, conveniently, and safely. We need to finish SkyTrain, we need to build LRT, we need to expand commuter rail and we need to establish standardized, regional rapid bus lines. Metro Vancouver residents live in one of the best regions in the world - our transit system should reflect our greatness.