Thank you for visiting our Child, Youth, and Family-Friendly Transit Systems in BC endorsement invitation! We invite you to review this pre-amble and our suite of evidence-based recommendations below, and officially endorse Child, Youth, and Family-Friendly Transit Systems in BC.

Transportation connects people to school, work, health care, community, and one another. It contributes to whether children, youth and families can access a dignified life. When transit is unaffordable or unreliable in any community in BC, the consequences ripple across other socioeconomic outcomes — employment, health, mental well-being, and social inclusion. 

Transit is a substantial expense for low-income households in BC, alongside housing and food. In cities across the province, low-income families are routinely forced to choose between transit fares and other pressing daily needs. The result is measurable exclusion: limited job prospects, missed medical appointments, and diminished access to services and lived-in community opportunities that allow people to thrive. 

To support families, BC’s transit systems must be safe, accessible, and built to meet the needs of children, youth, and families to get everywhere they need to go. An equity focus ensures our systems are safe and inclusive for low-income families and at-risk youth impacted by homelessness, low-income, and remote, underserved locations lacking transit infrastructure. Our vision for Child, Youth, and Family-Friendly Transit Systems includes promoting green, active transportation, expanding transit in rural BC, equitable school access, and the implementation of free transit for all youth up to age 18. We hope you join us to make this vision a reality in BC with strong leadership in every community in BC, and from the Province.

Our priority evidence-based recommendations:

• Expand the Get on Board program to include all youth up to age 18 in BC.
• Incentivize children and youth to get to school using green, active transportation.
• Establish low or no-traffic active transportation zones around all BC public schools and ensure transit stops are adjacent to schools.
• Introduce a sliding scale fare pass based on income for adults.
• Introduce fare evasion fine forgiveness programs in both of BC's transit systems for those experiencing financial hardship.
  Significantly invest in transit infrastructure in rural and remote BC regions.
• Improve equitable, safe access to transportation for families impacted by disability by bringing TransLink's HandyDART fully in-house.

We are asking all municipal election candidates everywhere in BC to endorse our vision for Child, Youth and Family-Friendly Transit Systems in BC and commit to advancing and implementing them in your local community.

If you are interested in endorsing or need more information, please fill out this short form. If you have any questions, please reach out to viveca@centreforeequity.ca. 

Authorized by Centre For Family Equity, registered sponsor under LECFA, (604) 366-1008.