SkyTrain ridership is up, West Coast Express (WCE) ridership is down.
But the slight dip in the commuter rail numbers is not a concern, says a TransLink spokesperson, and won’t result in reduced service.
September boardings on WCE were down 10.4% to 190,000 at the same time SkyTrain ridership has jumped 10.6%.
Chris Bryan, a TransLink spokesperson, said while some riders have switched to the Evergreen Extension, anticipated growth in the suburbs east of the Tri-Cities will continue to provide new riders for the WCE.
He cited a projected increase in riders from Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge and said, “It’s a great option for people who are just heading straight downtown and want a one-seat ride. It’s more convenient than SkyTrain for a lot of people, we think.”
Meanwhile, TransLink is expressing enthusiasm over what has been a record-breaking month for transit ridership generally in the Lower Mainland.
According to a press release this week, September saw 36 million transit boardings, a 6.2% increase over last September — and the highest number since February 2010, when the Vancouver Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games were held.
Some of the growth can be attributed to the addition of the Evergreen Extension to the Millennium Line, Bryan said, because it resulted in more people taking transit for the first time.
“It just creates better connectivity overall,” Bryan said.
For example, average weekday boardings for the Evergreen Extension have grown to 34,000 per week, a 13% increase over pre-summer levels.
TransLink also credits recent transit improvements, funded through the 10-Year Vision, a strong regional economy, high gas prices and stable transit fares for the increase in ridership.
If numbers hold steady. TransLink predicts more than 400 million boardings for the system by the end of December.
