The provincial and federal governments have announced $28 million in pandemic relief funding for BC Transit systems in the province and Prince George will get a share.
The funding is to protect service levels while ridership remains below the levels seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a statement issued by the two levels of government said.
“This investment in public transit helps ensure it remains stable and affordable when people need it most,” a spokesperson for BC Transit said in an email. “BC Transit is in the process of communicating individual allocation amounts to local governments around the province, but the organization can confirm that Prince George will receive an allocation of funds.”
BC Transit ridership remains about 65 per cent of what it was prior to 2020, the spokesperson said.
“Safety is our top priority, and BC Transit will continue to take the appropriate steps necessary to ensure our return to pre-pandemic service is done safely for our employees and customers,” the spokesperson said.
"This funding from the Government of Canada and Province of B.C. will allow BC Transit and our local government partners to protect service levels and focus on continuing to provide stable, affordable and convenient service to those who need it most,” BC Transit president and CEO Erinn Pinkerton said in a statement issued Monday. “It goes without saying that these past two years have had a significant impact on communities across B.C. Thank you to our riders, employees and partners for their ongoing support of public transportation."
In a statement, the B.C. Urban Mayors’ Caucus, including Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall and 12 other B.C. mayors, welcomed the funding announcement.
“Affordable, reliable and accessible public transit is critical to the economic, social and environmental future of our cities. Investing in sustainable transportation has never been more important for economic recovery to ensure our residents can get to work, school and appointments,” the mayors’ statement said. “The BCUMC has been calling on senior levels of government to provide support into 2022 as the pandemic continues. The caucus applauds both the federal and provincial government for working together to address the needs raised by our member local governments.”
TransLink, which operates in the Lower Mainland, received $174 million in provincial and federal relief money on Monday. The provincial and federal governments each provided $102 million for the combined $204 million in transit relief funding.
