TransLink report highlights chronic overcrowding and record ridership

A new reportreleased by Translinkhighlights what many users of the system experience firsthand: ridership is at record levels and chronic overcrowding is a growingissue.

TransLink's 2015 Transit Service Performance Review reports "almost half of bus revenue hours with chronic overcrowding occur outside weekday peak periods," meaning outside rush hour times as well as on weekends.

The report calls for more funding for increased services during those times, stating, "additional service could be provided with the existing fleet in the off-peak periods to reduce chronicovercrowding ifresources can be identified. Without new funding resources could be reallocated from existing services with low demand to these overcrowded routes."

The federal and provincial governments have committed to funding two-thirds of a transit expansion plan.

But TransLink is still in talks with local mayors on how to come up with the rest.

Other highlights from the report:

• Ridership across the TransLink system has grown 2.6 per cent in the last five years, from a total of 233 million journeys in 2011 to 239million journeys in 2015.
• Last year roughly15,000 revenue service hour were strategically reallocated from low demand routes to high demand routes.
• Major bus routes across the regionare experiencing above-average growth in boardings.
• Weekend passenger volumes on SkyTrain are similar to weekday volumes outside of peak periods.