Editor:
The following is an edited version of a letter addressed to B.C. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming and shared with Coast Reporter.
In our times of increasing economic and environmental uncertainty, youth need security in their access to transit, in a way that is better for the environment than cars. One way to achieve this is to expand the provincial Get on Board program to allow free public transit ridership from ages up to 12 to ages up to 18.
While the Get on Board program provides affordable transit options for families and teaches sustainable habits, even more benefits could be secured for British Columbians if teenagers were allowed to ride our public transit for free. Teenagers navigate a period in their lives where they can grow in their independence and seek to travel locally for education, socialization, work, sports, etc. Teenagers don’t control their families’ economic position, yet they rely on it for transit, allowing free transit for teenagers would improve socioeconomic equity throughout our province.
In addition, by promoting bus use, this program would improve BC’s position as one of Canada’s climate action-leading provinces. Buses are less emissions intensive than typical single occupancy vehicles, so when more travellers ride buses instead of cars, our emissions decrease. This is especially important when passenger transit constitutes approximately 15 per cent of our province’s total GHG emissions. Additionally, an increase in public transit ridership would help all road users by decreasing road congestion, allowing for decreased transit times.
I, and others in my community, are advocating to the SCRD to implement Free Student Transit in its 2024 budget. A feasibility study should soon be completed on this topic, and we hope that the SCRD will allocate the funds for this program. Likewise, while I am very grateful for the work you and the provincial government put into our public transit, I hope that, as you continue to evaluate the Get on Board program, you will support this expansion of our public transit, realizing all of its benefits for teens and their families province-wide.
Sincerely yours,
Colten Rockford, Gibsons
