TransLink fares are going up July 1

Transit fares for TransLink users will go up about 2.3 per cent this summer.

On July 1, single-zone fares will increase five cents, from $3.15 to $3.20. Two-zone fares will increase by 10 cents, to $4.65 and three-zone fares will go up 15 cents, up to $6.35. 

Daypasses, discounted tickets and monthly passes will also face slight increases. 

Transit fares in Metro Vancouver last increased in July, another 2.3 per cent hike. 

Spokesperson Tina Lovgreen says TransLink is in a "financial crisis," and looking at a shortfall of about $600 million annually starting in 2026. 

She said the transit system is facing "critical overcrowding," which revenue from the fare increases will help address. 

But Vancouver school board trustee Suzie Mah says she worries the fare increase, though seemingly minimal, will add pressure to families in particular, as they try to keep up with rising housing and grocery prices. 

"This is just additional cost that's being downloaded onto some of our most vulnerable people," she told The Early Edition host Stephen Quinn. 

In 2023, a motion was passed by the Vancouver School Board to request the province to make transit free for youth age 13 to 18. Transit became free for children under 12 in 2021. 

Lovgreen says that right now, TransLink would not be able to accommodate that kind of request on its own because of its fiscal situation. 

"What we need is a transit system that works for everyone," she said.