Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / Route 51 is pictured in downtown Chilliwack. After more than three years of diminished bus ridership due to COVID-19, BC Transit says it has seen steady increases and is now encountering a province-wide return to pre-pandemic ridership levels. Some BC Transit systems, such as the Central Fraser Valley, Chilliwack, and the Comox Valley, have seen ridership come back even stronger at more than 120 per cent of pre-pandemic numbers.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

BC Transit

Chilliwack ridership on BC Transit buses running at more than 120% of pre-pandemic levels

Sep 29, 2023 | 6:33 AM

VICTORIA — After more than three years of diminished bus ridership due to COVID-19, BC Transit has seen steady increases and is now encountering a province-wide return to pre-pandemic ridership levels.

“BC Transit is one of the first agencies in North America to reach this ridership recovery milestone following the pandemic and BC Transit staff deserve a huge amount of credit for all their hard work and dedication in difficult and uncertain circumstances,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Our government provided emergency funding to help our transit providers through the COVID-19 pandemic and avoid any service or transit staff cuts. This investment is now paying a big dividend for public transit as ridership numbers bounce back and keep expanding. Our commitment, then and now, is to continue to provide robust, affordable and convenient transit options for people.”

A media release from BC Transit says COVID-19 had a major impact on public transportation throughout the world, and BC Transit saw ridership drop to as low as 20 per cent of pre-pandemic numbers in spring 2020. But since the peak of the pandemic, ridership has steadily increased as people resumed taking transit.

“This is a huge accomplishment, and we thank all our customers for their ongoing support of public transit,” said Erinn Pinkerton, president and CEO for BC Transit. “I’m also grateful for the dedication of our drivers, mechanics and all other transit employees who have worked tirelessly to provide an essential service for our customers. We also share this milestone with our operating and local government partners who have worked with us and showed their ongoing commitment to providing safe and reliable public transportation.”

BC Transit has consistently seen ridership at 100 per cent of pre-pandemic levels throughout September in the 57 transit systems we serve. For example, there were 226,764 daily riders from September 11 to 15, a five-day work week. Over that same corresponding work week in 2019, the organization had 226,106 riders.

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Some BC Transit systems, such as the Central Fraser Valley, Chilliwack, and the Comox Valley, have seen ridership come back even stronger at more than 120 per cent of pre-pandemic numbers.

The safety of customers and employees is BC Transit’s top priority. The organization says it has followed the guidance of the Provincial Health Officer (PHO) and WorkSafeBC with policy decisions throughout the pandemic and will continue to do so.

Financial support for public transit throughout the pandemic has played an important role in the ridership recovery success. BC Transit and its local government partners benefitted from $116.4 million in funding provided under the Canada-BC Safe Restart Agreement.

BC Transit has also developed several initiatives to improve the customer experience and reliability. This includes:

• Expansion of our NextRide technology to now include 42 transit systems.
• Improved real-time data collection to better measure ridership and optimize routes and schedules.
• Implementation of Umo, our electronic fare system that will allow for cashless payments in 30 transit systems once complete.

The company says full return of ridership demonstrates the importance of public transportation in British Columbia, its role in providing important connections for people and allowing them to travel throughout their communities safely, affordably and sustainably.