The Victoria Transit Riders Union applauds the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) for voting to endorse a resolution that asks the province to make public transit free for all youth aged 18 and under. The resolution calls for an expansion of the Get On Board program, which currently allows children aged 12 and under to ride all BC Transit and TransLink services for free. The vote was taken in the morning on Thursday, September 19 at the 2024 UBCM convention. Versions of this resolution were submitted by the Sunshine Coast Regional District, Saanich, Langford, Metchosin, and Vernon.
Vernon, Mission, and Kelowna city councils also recently voted to write letters to the provincial government asking them to make transit in BC free for those 18 and under.
The Victoria Transit Riders Union, whose members wrote letters to municipal councils across BC and attended city council meetings in Saanich, Langford, and Oak Bay to argue in support of endorsing the resolution, now urges the provincial government to heed this call from municipalities. The Transit Riders Union hopes this is a step towards universal fare-free transit across BC, as this would help reduce carbon emissions from personal vehicles while also enhancing safety and accessibility in the province.
“As a social worker, I believe that allowing youth to use transit without the barrier of fares would help them access the things they need to thrive,“ said Liz Cronin, member of the Victoria Transit Riders Union. “It would also be a beautiful way to show them that we are serious about addressing climate change and giving them a better future.”
“Eliminating fares for youth across BC would rectify a situation here in Greater Victoria where teens in Victoria proper get municipally-funded free transit, but their friends who live across the street in Oak Bay or Saanich are not so lucky,” said Victoria Transit Riders Union member Nathan Bird. “Transit is the safest way to travel no matter what municipality you live in, and all our youth deserve unfettered access to it.”
“The youth in our communities deserve access to reliable, convenient and affordable transit. Public transportation is an essential component in our communities and after years of back and forth debates, the argument against free transit for youth is running out of steam. By uplifting the youth of our community with access to free transit, we can take a massive step forward in building a legacy of future transit riders that will support the long term success and fiscal viability of a sustainable mobility network,” said Langford Councillor Colby Harder.
“Increasing access to transit for young people allows young people to access education, jobs, extracurricular activities, and social opportunities more easily. Free transit for youth helps cultivate a generation of transit riders, which will increase affordability, lower emissions, and reduce congestion,” said District of Saanich Councillor Teale Phelps Bondaroff, who spearheaded and authored the resolution coming from Saanich Council.
A second resolution calling on the provincial government to make transit free for seniors aged 65 and older was submitted by Saanich and Langford, and is due to be voted on later in the convention. The Victoria Transit Riders Union urges UBCM members to also support this resolution to help combat social isolation and high living costs faced by BC seniors.
Resolution
All resolutions can be found here in the UBCM 2024 Agenda. The backgrounder that accompanies the resolution can be found here.
Wording of the resolution adopted by Saanich Council and others are as follows:
Free Transit for Young People in BC
WHEREAS the Get On Board program allows children aged 12 and under to ride all BC Transit and TransLink transit services free of charge, and this program saves families money while offering youth low-carbon transportation that helps the province and municipalities reach emissions and transportation mode share targets;
WHEREAS encouraging young people to use public transportation early in life can lead to lifelong habits of sustainable transportation use, and this in turn can have long-term benefits for cities in terms of reduced congestion, lower emissions, and increased social inclusion;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT UBCM lobby the Provincial Government expand the Get On Board program to include all youth up to the age of 18.
Victoria Transit Riders Union 