VANCOUVER, B.C. — Vancouver Green Councillor Pete Fry is calling on the Province to reform TransLink’s governance so that a majority of the Board is made up of locally elected officials, with seats allocated in a way that reflects population, ridership, and transit infrastructure across the region.

Fry’s motion¹, Local Elected Representation on the TransLink Board, was carried at the Standing Committee on City Finance and Services on February 9, 2022.

“Vancouver is the region’s biggest transit city. Our residents make up a huge share of ridership, and the decisions TransLink makes shape affordability, accessibility, and climate progress,” said Councillor Fry. “If we want better transit outcomes, we need stronger democratic accountability at the decision-making table.”

The motion notes that Vancouver previously had elected councillors appointed to the TransLink Board until 2008, and that today the Board includes two Metro Vancouver mayors and nine unelected members. It also highlights Vancouver’s uniquely high transit use and the City’s climate goals, including the need for major transit improvements as part of Vancouver’s climate response.

The motion requests that the Mayor write to the B.C. Government urging it to reconfigure TransLink’s Board so that a majority of members are locally elected officials, with representation that balances urban, suburban, and rural needs while reflecting population and ridership.

The motion was carried with Councillors Bligh, Boyle, and Kirby-Yung opposed, and Mayor Stewart and Councillors Dominato and De Genova absent for the vote.

¹Motion on page 19 of the minutes

Carried on a recorded vote (Vote No. 08101),