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Transit boardings plummet amid COVID-19 crisis: TransLink data

The numbers show our transit use in Vancouver has changed radically compared to this time last year
skytrain
Transit boardings have taken a steep dive in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis here in Metro Vancouver. File photo Dan Toulgoet

Transit use has taken a steep dive across Metro Vancouver as the COVID-19 crisis has many people staying home.

TransLink released data from March 12-17, with Tuesday seeing the steepest drop in ridership.

Here are the figures:

Tuesday, March 17

  • -52%below the same day in 2019
  • Total boardings on Tuesday, March 17: 684,000

Monday, March 16

  • -38%below the same day in 2019
  • Total boardings on Monday, March 16: 843,000

Sunday, March 15

  • -29% below the same day in 2019
  • Total boardings on Sunday, March 15: 552,000

Saturday, March 14

  • -23%below the same day in 2019
  • Total boardings on Saturday, March 14: 726,000

Friday, March 13

  • -17% below the same day in 2019
  • Total boardings on Friday, March 13: 1,213,000

Thursday, March 12

  • -7%below the same day in 2019
  • Total boardings on Thursday, March 12: 1,312,000

Specifically for Tuesday, March 17:

  • Total Boardings were -52% below the same day in 2019
  • Total Bus Boardings were -48% below same day in 2019
  • Total Expo/Millennium Line Boardings were -54% below the same day in 2019
  • Total Canada Line Boardings were -59% below the same day in 2019
  • Total SeaBus Boardings were -69% below the same day in 2019
  • Total WCE Boardings were -70% below the same day in 2019

According to TransLink, a boarding represents each time a passenger enters a fare paid zone using Compass fare media or other proof of payment. Transfers are counted as additional boardings.

Boardings are available as a system total and by transit mode. This does not represent an amount of people, given that most riders have more than one boarding per journey and more than one journey per day.

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