TransLink receives $825 million from federal government as financial lifeline

The Lower Mainland public transit agency is getting a huge boost as the federal government announced Wednesday it is investing more than $825 million in TransLink.

In a joint statement by Sean Fraser, federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities; Anne Kang, British Columbia Minister of Municipal Affairs; and Trish Mandewo, President of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), the government announced that it will invest $1.6 billion in local communities in British Columbia over the next five years.

The government said TransLink will receive a total of $825.3 million, while local governments and projects will receive the rest.

“Together, we have finalized a new agreement for the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF) that will continue to provide predictable, long-term, and stable financing to local governments in British Columbia. The extension of this agreement means that the critical infrastructure that supports housing will continue to be built, maintained, and expanded,” the joint statement said.

“Upgrading municipal infrastructure that people rely on is an important part of addressing the housing crisis. Community growth requires affordable housing as well as infrastructure such as public transportation, recreation centers, and modern water and wastewater systems,” it continued.

The funding comes after TransLink’s mayoral council repeatedly raised alarms over the past year, with claims of underfunding and under-resourced as the region deals with massive population growth.

Council President, Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West, said in February that he was disappointed by a lack of new transit projects for Metro Vancouver in BC’s 2024 budget. West said at the time that if TransLink didn’t get more funding soon, it would have to look at service cuts starting in 2026.

In April, the British Columbia government announced it would invest $300 million in public transit, including more buses and SeaBus service.

The federal government explained Wednesday that the funding will be divided into three streams, including the Strategic Priorities Fund, the Metro Vancouver Regional Fund and the Community Works Fund.

“We are taking a collaborative approach to building more inclusive and connected communities by creating the public infrastructure the people of British Columbia need,” the statement said.

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