COPE on transit: free rides for youth, a low-income pass, a Broadway bike lane
COPE would work toward fast and free transit, starting with fare-free bus pilots, free transit for everyone under 18, a low-income pass for people earning under $40,000 a year and free rides on election days. It would add a Broadway bike lane and push for SkyTrain to UBC.
FIGHT FOR VANCOUVER · PAGE 18
Better Transit and Transportation: what the Fight for Vancouver says
COPE's long-term transit goal is a fast and free public transit system in Vancouver and across BC. The platform lists first steps: fare-free bus route pilots, free transit for all youth under 18, an affordable pass for people who earn less than $40,000 a year, and free transit on election days, holidays and around major community events. COPE points to its own record, saying its elected members pushed for free transit for children under 12, which the Province adopted in 2021.
For cycling and walking, the party would close gaps in the city's bike network, add protected bike lanes including one on Broadway, light the paths through parks, and link bike routes to every community centre. It would expand bike share and scooters under public ownership, give space to community bike repair groups, and put covered shelters and benches at bus stops. The platform says half of Vancouver's bus stops have neither.
Most transit items are requests to TransLink, the regional body that runs buses, SkyTrain and HandyDART. COPE would push to reverse TransLink service cuts, extend SkyTrain to UBC, link the Compass Card to bike share and scooters, add worker and rider seats on the TransLink Board and bring HandyDART under public control. The city owns its streets, so bike lanes and bus lanes are Council decisions.
THE PARTY'S NUMBERS
Figures in this chapter
Yearly income below which people would get COPE's low-income transit pass
The party's figure, page 18Age group COPE would give free transit
The party's figure, page 18Share of Vancouver bus stops the platform says have no shelter or bench
The party's figure, page 18Year the platform says the Province made transit free for children under 12 after COPE's campaign
The party's figure, page 1819 COMMITMENTS
What the party says it would do
Fight for a fast and free public transit system
COPE would fight for a fast and free public transit system in Vancouver and across BC, and take first steps toward it right away.
- Who has the power
- Regional body TransLink, a regional body the city does not control, runs the buses and SkyTrain, so the city can only press for this.
Fare-free bus route pilots
As a first step toward free transit, the party would run fare-free bus route pilots in Vancouver.
- Who has the power
- Regional body TransLink, a regional body the city does not control, runs the buses and SkyTrain, so the city can only press for this.
Free transit for all youth under 18
COPE would expand free transit to all youth under the age of 18.
- Who has the power
- Regional body TransLink runs transit service. The platform says the Province made transit free for children under 12 in 2021, so a wider age group would depend on TransLink and the Province.
A low-income transit pass
The party would create an affordable transit pass for people who earn less than $40,000 a year.
- Who has the power
- Regional body TransLink, a regional body the city does not control, runs the buses and SkyTrain, so the city can only press for this.
Free transit on election days, holidays and major events
COPE would make transit free on election days, holidays and around major community events.
- Who has the power
- Regional body TransLink, a regional body the city does not control, runs the buses and SkyTrain, so the city can only press for this.
Close the gaps in the cycling network
The party would give priority to active transportation and cycling by closing the gaps in the city-wide cycling network and expanding protected bike lanes.
- Who has the power
- City Council The city owns and designs its streets and bike lanes.
A Broadway bike lane
COPE would add new cycling routes, including a Broadway bike lane.
- Who has the power
- City Council Broadway is a city street, and the city designs its own streets and bike lanes.
Lighting and safety on park paths
The party would add better lighting and safety measures on transportation paths in public parks.
- Who has the power
- Park Board The Park Board controls paths and lighting inside parks.
Connect bike and scooter routes to community centres
COPE would connect active transportation and micro-mobility networks, meaning routes for bikes and small electric vehicles such as scooters, to all community centres and public recreation facilities.
- Who has the power
- City, with others The city designs streets and bike routes, and the Park Board runs community centres and recreation sites.
Support community bike repair
The party would give funding and space to community bike repair and recycling groups to make affordable bikes easier to get.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council can fund community programs and offer city space.
Expand bike share and scooters under public control
COPE would expand bike share, scooters and other small vehicles to give people more transportation options, and bring them under public community control and ownership.
- Who has the power
- City Council The city controls how shared bikes and scooters use its streets.
Covered bus shelters and benches
The party would invest in covered bus shelters and benches across the city so everyone waiting for a bus can do so in comfort and under cover. The platform says half of Vancouver's bus stops have no shelter or bench.
- Who has the power
- City, with others Bus stops sit on city streets, while TransLink runs the buses. The platform does not say which body would pay.
Improve public transit service
COPE would fight for better transit service with rapid transit, more frequent buses, SkyTrain, and upgrades that make transit more reliable and faster.
- Who has the power
- Regional body TransLink, a regional body the city does not control, runs the buses and SkyTrain, so the city can only press for this.
Extend rapid transit, including SkyTrain to UBC
The party would extend rapid transit across the Lower Mainland, including rapid buses and SkyTrain, and complete the SkyTrain line to UBC.
- Who has the power
- Regional body TransLink, a regional body the city does not control, runs the buses and SkyTrain, so the city can only press for this.
Bus lanes to prevent bunching and delays
COPE supports road changes such as bus lanes that prevent buses from bunching together and reduce transit delays.
- Who has the power
- City, with others The city owns the streets where bus lanes would go, and TransLink runs the buses.
Reverse TransLink cuts and restore bus frequency
The party would fight to reverse cuts to TransLink and restore bus frequency, especially in working-class neighbourhoods whose service was cut back after COVID.
- Who has the power
- Regional body TransLink, a regional body the city does not control, runs the buses and SkyTrain, so the city can only press for this.
Link the Compass Card to bikes and scooters
COPE would push to link the Compass Card fare system with shared bikes and scooters as a step toward one unified public transit system.
- Who has the power
- Regional body The Compass Card is TransLink's fare card, so TransLink would decide.
Worker and rider seats on the TransLink Board
The party would advocate for worker and rider representation on the TransLink Board.
- Who has the power
- Regional body TransLink is a regional body the city does not control, so the city can only advocate.
Bring HandyDART under public control
COPE would continue the fight to bring HandyDART, the door-to-door transit service for people with disabilities, under public control to improve service.
- Who has the power
- Regional body HandyDART is a TransLink service, so TransLink would have to act.
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT
Where the power sits for this chapter
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about better transit and transportation
Does COPE want free transit in Vancouver?
Yes. COPE would fight for a fast and free transit system in Vancouver and BC, starting with fare-free bus route pilots, free transit for everyone under 18, a low-income pass for people earning under $40,000 a year, and free transit on election days and holidays (platform, page 18).
Does COPE support a bike lane on Broadway?
Yes. COPE would add new cycling routes including a Broadway bike lane, close gaps in the city's cycling network and expand protected bike lanes (platform, pages 18 and 23).
What does COPE say about SkyTrain to UBC?
COPE would push to extend rapid transit across the Lower Mainland, including completing the SkyTrain line to UBC (platform, page 18).
Can Vancouver City Council make transit free?
No. TransLink, a regional body the city does not control, runs buses and SkyTrain. COPE's free transit items are things the city would press TransLink to do, while bike lanes and bus lanes on city streets are Council decisions (platform, page 18).
What would COPE do about HandyDART?
COPE would continue the fight to bring HandyDART under public control to improve service for people with disabilities. HandyDART is a TransLink service (platform, page 18).
What does COPE say about bus shelters in Vancouver?
COPE would invest in covered bus shelters and benches across the city. The platform says half of Vancouver's bus stops have no shelter or bench (platform, page 18).
ON THE BALLOT
The COPE candidates behind this
Sources
Every commitment on this page comes from the party's own material, marked SAYS SO ITSELF. It proves what the party says it would do. Who holds each power is our own addition, from the sources listed after it.
- Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 Platform (PDF) SAYS SO ITSELFCOPE · pages 18 · checked
- HandyDART TransLink · checked