B.C. NDP pledges new TransLink funding source without higher costs for drivers

B.C. NDP Leader David Eby is promising a long-term funding solution for TransLink that would not increase costs for drivers, nearly two weeks after ruling out a new vehicle levy and/or road tolls. The party has not identified a revenue source or said how much additional funding TransLink would receive.

The pledge follows debate earlier this month about a possible annual vehicle levy to help address TransLink’s funding shortfall. Discussions before the snap provincial election call had included a potential charge of $100 to $150 per vehicle each year across Metro Vancouver, collected by ICBC during insurance renewals. After being pressed, Eby acknowledged that his administration had proposed a vehicle levy but ultimately rejected it. TransLink told Daily Hive Urbanized earlier this month that the provincial government is responsible for determining a new revenue source through provincial legislation and that the authority has not advocated for a particular option.

The search for lasting funding predates the campaign. In 2025, the provincial government committed an additional $312 million in temporary operating support for TransLink, covering part of its operating revenue shortfall from 2025 to 2027. Combined with fare, property tax and parking tax increases, the subsidies and new revenue funded operations through the end of 2027 and averted the immediate threat of major service cuts. The plan also anticipated a new revenue source beginning in 2027, subject to legislative approval, that would generate at least $112 million annually once fully implemented in 2028. The latest B.C. NDP pledge renews the commitment to a long-term arrangement without explaining how the money would be raised.

A key challenge is shrinking gas tax revenue, TransLink’s third-largest operating revenue stream after property taxes and fares. The authority says average fuel consumption per vehicle has fallen 45 per cent since 2002 as vehicles become more efficient and more drivers switch to battery-electric models. TransLink’s gas tax revenue peaked in 2022. Despite more vehicles on the road, it collects less fuel tax and expects further declines. Separately, the B.C. NDP’s re-election platform promises a temporary reduction to part of the provincial portion of gas taxes paid by drivers to provide relief at the pump. That would not affect TransLink’s separate gas tax. Operating costs have also been rising, especially labour costs. Without a major new revenue source or another round of provincial operating subsidies, TransLink may struggle to expand and improve service and could face major cuts beginning in late 2027 or early 2028.

**Renewed commitment to TransLink’s first rapid bus projects**

If re-elected, the B.C. NDP says it will implement TransLink’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) plan. The first two planned routes are the King George Boulevard BRT line, between Surrey City Centre and Semiahmoo Town Centre/White Rock, and the Langley-Haney Place BRT line, between the future Willowbrook SkyTrain station in Langley Township and Haney Place in Maple Ridge. TransLink’s planned BRT network would use extensive dedicated bus lanes, traffic signal priority for buses and special bus stations. The King George Boulevard project alone is expected to cost about $700 million.

The announcement gives no funding amount or opening dates for the BRT commitment. Technical design and planning for the projects are already well underway. TransLink has said its 2025 Investment Plan provides preliminary funding for design and planning, but more money is needed to deliver them fully. The B.C. NDP has not said which corridors its commitment would fund. “Whether it’s people commuting to work, seniors getting to their appointments, or families out for a day trip, public transit keeps people and communities moving,” Eby said. “There’s more to do, and we have a plan to keep building on the work already completed and underway.”

The party’s platform announcement also includes an additional $40 million in annual operating funding for BC Transit, the separate provincial transit authority serving areas outside Metro Vancouver. The money would expand bus service and improve connections between communities. The B.C. NDP says the funding would support more bus service and make travel between communities easier. According to the party, BC Transit’s operating funding has increased by more than 80 per cent since 2017, enabling a significant expansion of public bus service across the province.

**No mention of a UBC SkyTrain extension**

The B.C. NDP also highlighted two SkyTrain projects under construction: the Millennium Line Broadway extension to Arbutus and the Expo Line Surrey-Langley extension. They are expected to be completed and open in late 2027 and late 2029, respectively. The planned extension from Arbutus Station to the University of British Columbia campus was identified as a priority in the party’s 2024 provincial election platform. However, neither the latest announcement nor the platform to date mentions extending the Millennium Line farther west to reach the university.

The provincial government is leading technical design and planning for the UBC SkyTrain project. Work to prepare its business case has included geotechnical borehole testing along the route in 2024 to collect soil samples. In September 2025, the province said substantial progress had been made towards completing the business case. It must be completed to determine the project’s design, route, station locations and estimated total cost, as well as the provincial funding commitment and the case for seeking a major federal contribution. The provincial government has not publicly released it.

Earlier this year, Premier Eby’s administration signalled in the 2026 provincial budget that it would slow capital investment in new facilities and infrastructure because of the province’s large annual deficit and growing debt.