TransLink is temporarily laying off almost 1,500 employees to cope with the authority haemorrhaging $75 million a month due to plummeting ridership during the pandemic.
The transit authority made the announcement Monday morning, along with a swathe of cuts to services across the region, including to the Canada Line and several bus services within Richmond.
The Canada Line has had its peak service reduced by 18 per cent while, as of Friday, April 24, the 414 bus route – from Brighouse Station to the Olympic Oval – will be suspended.
And at the beginning of May, several other bus routes, including the 416 (East Cambie to Brighouse), are also expected to be suspended.
TransLink said the cost-saving measures are being made to “preserve Metro Vancouver’s transit system.”
It added that it has had a commitment from the B.C. government to ensure near-regular service can be restored by September.
TransLink earlier announced that it’s losing $75 million per month with ridership down by 83 per cent, while still providing transit services for essential workers.
It added that the “rate of financial loss is not sustainable.”
It will now:
Implement further suspension of transit services on bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express, beginning this week;
Issue temporary layoff notices to 1,492 employees. These employees work in various positions at TransLink, Coast Mountain Bus Company, and British Columbia Rapid Transit Company;
Reduce senior executive salaries and Board remuneration by 10%;
Reduce organizational costs and program expenditures, including:
Deferral of the 2020 Major Road Network operations, maintenance and rehabilitation program funding to municipalities.
Deferral of 2020 service expansions.
Spend cash reserves to sustain current essential service operations through to the end of 2020.
“This has been an incredibly tough decision and one we do not take lightly,” says TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond.
“We’ve done our best to try and reduce costs through other means, but TransLink is losing $75 million per month, and we’re left with no other options. It’s not lost on me what an impact this decision will have on the lives of our employees and their families.
“I fully expect those affected will be recalled once TransLink returns to regular operations, which we are now planning for back-to-school in September, if consistent with provincial guidelines.”
Details of service changes:
SkyTrain:
Beginning Wednesday (April 22), Expo and Millennium Line capacity will be further reduced.
Expo Line capacity will be reduced by 20% during peak hours. During middays, early evenings, and weekends, capacity will be reduced by 20% to 40%, depending on the time of day.
These capacity reductions are in addition to a 17% reduction during peak hours and a 20% reduction on Friday and Saturday evenings, which were implemented last month.
Millennium Line capacity will be reduced by 15% during peak hours. During middays, early evenings, and weekends, capacity will be reduced by 20% to 40%, depending on the time of day.
These capacity reductions are in addition to a 17% reduction during peak hours and a 20% reduction on Friday and Saturday evenings, which were implemented last month.
Canada Line capacity has been reduced by 18% during peak hours.
Bus:
Beginning Friday (April 24), 18 bus routes will be suspended.
Suspended routes: 15, 32, 50, 68, 105, 131, 132, 143, 222, 480, 414, R3.
Most of these routes have other transit as alternatives
Suspended NightBus routes: N8, N15, N17, N22, N24, N35.
Beginning in early May, we expect another 47 routes will be suspended, and frequency reduced on many remaining routes.
Expected route suspensions: 251, 252, 262, 280, 281, 282, 370, 563, 564, 044, 170, 181, 182, 231, 241, 247, 258, 345, 352, 354, 391, 393, 394, 395, 416, 509, 602, 603, 604, 606, 608, 614, 616, 617, 618, 619, 719, 722, 733, 741, 744, 748, 749, 791, 042, 150, 179.
Precise timing for these suspensions and reductions will be released in due course.
TransLink is prioritizing service to routes serving hospitals and other health facilities.
Routes selected for suspension either duplicate other routes or are in low ridership areas.
SeaBus:
Beginning Wednesday (April 22), SeaBus will end service earlier.
The last SeaBus sailing of the day will happen at 7:30 p.m. from Lonsdale Quay and 7:45 p.m. from Waterfront.
SeaBus will continue sailings every 30-minutes.
West Coast Express:
Beginning Wednesday (April 22), West Coast Express trains One, Three, and Five will continue to operate on existing schedules but will have fewer cars.
Trains Two and Four remain suspended.
