B.C. Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau reacts to the budget speech during a press conference at the legislature in Victoria on Feb. 22, 2024. Furstenau has announced a plan to make all public transit in the province free.CHAD HIPOLITO/The Canadian Press
Public transit in British Columbia should be free for everybody, says Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau.
The Greens are making free public transit one of the party’s promises ahead of B.C.’s Oct. 19 election, she said Thursday.
Free transit will relieve financial strain on families, create more livable communities and reduce carbon emissions, said Furstenau.
“I think transit is a gift,” she said in an interview. “It’s a gift of time. It’s a gift of freedom. It’s a gift of mobility.”
The Greens’ proposal also called for hourly services on key regional routes, a doubling of city buses within four years and a tripling within eight years.
Furstenau said cuts to the subsidies the province gives to the oil and gas industry could help fund free public transit.
The party, which currently has two MLAs in the 87-seat legislature, said in a statement $720-million in funding for TransLink and BC Transit would come from “reprioritizing existing funding,” with $420-million from the provincial budget and savings from improved efficiency.
The Greens said that doubling the number of buses and increasing frequency and routes would double operational expenditure of BC Transit from 2024/25 onward, initially requiring an extra $300-million per year.
Furstenau said in a statement free transit was a “win-win,” saving families money while easing traffic congestion.
“Transportation affects every aspect of our lives, where we live, how we connect with others, and whether we can access opportunities,” she said.
“Fast, frequent and free transit will shift how people move, reduce household costs, and enable a giant leap forward on meeting our climate goals.”