As TransLink has cut bus capacity to a fraction of what it was a few months ago amid COVID-19, uncertainty remains around the future of transit for UBC students.
For third-year commuter student Melissa Li, she’s concerned about how she’ll get to campus for in-person classes in September.
“It’s already really difficult to get to school under normal circumstances,” said Li. “[The] bus is pretty full all the time, so if we still have to physically distance, then I don’t really know how it’s gonna go.”
TransLink has been forced to either cut back the frequency of or suspend many routes and reduce the capacity of buses, causing the agency to take on a $75 million monthly deficit. With the U-Pass program currently on pause, it’s unclear how transit will look and how commuter students will be affected when classes return to in-person instruction.
A growing deficit
UBC has moved all courses online until the end of August and announced May 11 that selected small classes will be held in person come fall. But right now, measures to facilitate social distancing — blocking off some seats and discouraging standing — have reduced the capacity of individual buses by 70 per cent.
TransLink has suspended service on the 68 UBC community shuttle, the 480 UBC/Bridgeport and the N17 UBC/Downtown NightBus.
On May 8 after the province announced plans to reopen, TransLink announced that it would rescind the 1,500 layoff notices issued to employees. The announcement also included cancelling a reduction of service planned to begin May 18 that would’ve seen frequency and start times cut across the board — and the outright suspension of the 44 UBC/Downtown and the 258 UBC/West Vancouver.
In an interview with The Ubyssey, TransLink spokesperson Ben Murphy said that the transit agency should be eligible for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, a federal program that subsidizes up to 75 per cent of an employer’s wages for three months, but excludes public institutions such as TransLink.
“Other industries like the airline industry are [eligible], and so part of our case is we think we should be eligible for that,” said Murphy.
TransLink is struggling with monthly deficits amid an 80 per cent slump in ridership, a 60 per cent reduction in gas tax revenue and the decision to enact rear-door boarding and halt fare collection on buses to maintain social distancing.
TransLink is currently installing see-through plastic barriers on the buses to prevent contact between bus drivers and passengers while still allowing front door boarding and fare collection, and Murphy stated that the resumption of fare collection on June 1 will bring in an additional $2 million a month.
U-Pass suspensions
The U-Pass program has been suspended since the beginning of May. In an interview with The Ubyssey, AMS President Cole Evans said that April refunds have yet to be finalized.
“The AMS is continuing to work with TransLink and the U-Pass Advisory Committee on getting April U-Pass refunds processed as soon as possible,” he said. Refunds will only be available for students who haven’t used their U-Pass during the month of April.
“Whatever decision that we make will be one that balances the transit needs of students … and making sure that we’re not putting more undue financial hardship on students by relaunching the U-Pass program.”
When asked about the possibility of renegotiating the U-Pass if TransLink is unable to provide full service when UBC resumes in-person classes, Evans stressed the importance of maintaining value to students.
“If the academic year does come and we are still seeing reduced service … we’re going to want to make sure that the value that students are getting out of their U-Pass is worth it,” he said.
‘Low risk’ of transit transmission
Murphy stated “there is low risk” of COVID-19 transmission on public transit and stressed that “we need to make sure that people feel comfortable.”
But taking transit has raised concerns for Li, who had to bus to work at a cafe until March as restaurant restrictions came into effect.
“Even though it was really empty on the bus, I felt really worried and anxious,” she said. “And I was like, ‘Oh my god, I have to immediately go home and like wash every single piece of clothing.’”
Still, there’s a lot of uncertainty around in-person classes at UBC and how TransLink will safely meet that demand.
“Especially since people will still be working — people have to go to school, people have to go to appointments — transit probably can’t handle that capacity.”