TransLink ridership sees decline in 2025, partly due to fewer young adults | Daily Hive

TransLink ridership sees decline in 2025 due to population growth slowdown, including fewer young adults

SkyTrain's Expo Line platforms at Commercial-Broadway Station. (Kenneth Chan)

Metro Vancouver’s public transit ridership declined slightly in 2025, as a sharp slowdown in population growth and a shift in demographics altered how residents travel, according to new data presented to TransLink’s board of directors today.

The public transit authority recorded 237.6 million journeys and 396.3 million boardings in 2025, with about 900,000 unique passengers using the system in an average fall week.

However, overall ridership fell by about 1.5 per cent compared to 2024, marking the first annual decline following several years of strong post-pandemic recovery.

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During today’s board of directors meeting, TransLink director of strategic planning and policy Andrew McCurran said the shift represents a pause rather than a reversal of long-term trends. The decline became more apparent late in 2025, noting that ridership through the first half of the year closely tracked 2024 levels.

He stressed that the recent dip should be understood in context, describing the previous few years as “one of the strongest post-pandemic transit recoveries in North America, including years of double-digit growth that we’ve seen over the last number of years.”

Decline in the number of young adults

The primary factor behind the change is a significant slowdown in population growth.

After three consecutive years of rapid population expansion, Metro Vancouver’s headcount grew by less than one per cent in 2025, largely due to federal immigration policy changes that reduced the number of international students and temporary workers entering the country.

That shift has had a disproportionate impact on public transit use because it has altered the region’s age profile. The number of residents aged 19 to 34 — historically the most frequent public transit users — declined by about three per cent, reflecting both reduced newcomer arrivals and a generational transition as millennials age out of the cohort and are replaced by a smaller Generation Z.

“The primary driver appears to be a decline in the number of young adults, specifically fewer younger newcomers arriving in the region,” said McCurran during the public meeting. He added that this 19 to 34 year old group typically uses public transit at relatively higher rates, so the effect of that shift on ridership was more noticeable.

Other factors, including negative interprovincial migration and broader economic conditions, are also contributing to the shift in population composition and ultimately ridership.

Increases in Canada Line, SeaBus, and West Coast Express ridership

While overall ridership declined, the pattern was far from uniform across public transit modes and regions.

Bus ridership fell by 2.5 per cent, while SkyTrain’s combined network of Expo and Millennium SkyTrain lines saw a 2.6 per cent decline.

In contrast, several services posted gains. SkyTrain’s Canada Line ridership increased 1.1 per cent — partly driven by Vancouver International Airport’s all-time historic annual record of 26.9 million passengers in 2025.

As well, SeaBus ridership grew by 3.8 per cent — with weekend ridership surpassing 2019 levels, and partly propelled by the Shipyards Christmas Market — and West Coast Express recorded the largest increase at 11.2 per cent, a trend linked to more people returning to in-office work in downtown Vancouver. HandyDART trips also rose by six per cent.

Surrey/Langley ridership still 20% higher than 2019

Regional variations were similarly pronounced. The largest subregions — Vancouver/University of British Columbia, Burnaby/New Westminster, and South of Fraser East — saw ridership declines of 1.1 per cent, 1.4 per cent, and 5.8 per cent, respectively. However, other subregions, including the Northeast Sector (Coquitlam/Port Coquitlam/Port Moody), South of Fraser West (Richmond/South Delta/Tsawwaseen), and Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows, recorded growth, while the North Shore remained relatively stable.

In Surrey/Langley, ridership remains about 20 per cent higher than in 2019, even after the recent decline. According to the public transit authority, improved service levels under the 2025 Investment Plan have helped ease overcrowding in some of the region’s busiest corridors. In this South of Fraser East subregion, the share of overcrowded trips dropped from 11 per cent in fall 2024 to six per cent in Fall 2025, which may itself have influenced travel behaviour.

Beyond public transit, other modes continued to gain ground. Road usage increased by about 1.5 per cent in 2025, a slower pace than the previous two years, but enough to contribute to declining travel speeds during peak periods. Despite heavier traffic, travel time reliability remained relatively stable.

Active transportation also showed some growth. Cycling volumes rose by about three per cent, while pedestrian counts increased by roughly four per cent, based on data from a growing network of monitoring sites across the region. McCurran said the increase likely reflects a combination of factors, including expanded walking and cycling infrastructure, more compact land-use patterns that support shorter trips, and broader cultural shifts such as the rising popularity of e-bikes.

Population and ridership growth to return in 2028

Despite the short-term slowdown, TransLink and regional planners expect both population and public transit demand to rebound in the coming years. Forecasts from the provincial government’s BC Stats and the federal government’s Statistics Canada project that population growth will accelerate again by 2028, eventually pushing the region toward four million residents in the late 2040s.

Public transit ridership is expected to follow a similar trajectory, with projections indicating 2030 ridership will be about eight per cent higher than in 2025.

“After this temporary slowing in regional population growth, we do expect growth to rebound over the next few years,” said McCurran, emphasizing that long lead times for building infrastructure and procuring new vehicles mean capital investment decisions must be made well in advance.

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