Developed by the Mayors' Council in 2014, the 10-Year Vision for Metro Vancouver Transit and Transportation (the 10-Year Vision) is a strategy designed to keep the region moving. The Vision is a transit and transportation plan that reflects agreement by 23 local governments across Metro Vancouver, and is supported by the largest coalition of community, environmental and business stakeholders in British Columbia's history.

The 10-Year Vision is unique in Canada. It's a region-wide, integrated plan – from SkyTrain to buses to roads and bridges – that supports our 30-year Regional Transportation Strategy and Regional Growth Strategy.

The 10-Year Vision will be rolled out in three phases, each timed to the delivery of new projects and services. In each phase, investments from the federal government and provincial government will be matched with regional revenues to ensure the 10-Year Vision is funded in a fair and balanced way.

For a snapshot of the investments included in each phase of the 10-Year Vision, view the 10-Year Vision Dashboard.

On November 23, 2016, the Mayors' Council and TransLink's Board of Directors reviewed and approved Phase One of the 10-Year Vision. The Phase One Plan reflects feedback received from the public consultation process and represents a major step forward – the first significant new investment in transit and roads in Metro Vancouver since 2009. The Plan is the first in a series of investment plans, each designed to advance the significant transit and transportation improvements outlined in the 10-Year Vision.

Phase One of the 10-Year Vision will see an investment of approximately $2 billion in expanded transit services, transit infrastructure, and improvements for roads, cycling and walking – Metro Vancouver's biggest transit service expansion since 2009.

Over the course of the Phase One Plan, a broad range of enhancements are being implemented, including those listed below.

Phase One Transit Service Improvements

• 10% increase in bus service.

• 15% increase in HandyDART service.

• 20% increase in rail service (Expo Line, Millennium Line, Canada Line, West Coast Express).

• Pre-construction and consultation on the Millennium Line Broadway Extension.

• New funding for improvements to the Major Road Network.

• Expansion and improvements to the cycling and walking networks.

Learn more about investments underway

The Phase Two Plan funds the next phase of the 10-Year Vision, starting in 2018. It is a historic investment in the region's transit and transportation system — one of the largest in Metro Vancouver's history.

The Phase Two Plan is built on continued delivery of transportation improvements in the Phase One Plan, as well as a proposed funding model to implement the second phase of transportation improvements in the 10-Year Vision. This includes:

• At the direction of the Mayors' Council, the original Surrey-Newton-Guildford LRT Project was put on pause and the focus turned to project planning and development of a Surrey Langley SkyTrain.

• Millennium Line Broadway Extension to extend SkyTrain on the busiest transit corridor in our region.

• A massive upgrade of existing Expo and Millennium Line infrastructure to expand its capacity to meet forecasted ridership growth or years into the future and improve the customer experience.

• A further increase in bus service throughout the Metro Vancouver region to address overcrowding, reduce wait times and bring bus services to many neighbourhoods that currently have limited bus options.

• More HandyDART trips.

• Improvements to sidewalks, bikeways and multi-use pathways.

• Addressing bottlenecks and funding other upgrades to major roads.

Learn more about the planned projects.

Due to the unforeseen economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, some Phase Two investments that have not yet been funded have been put on pause. This includes remaining bus service expansion. Phase Two investments with committed senior government funding will proceed, including the Broadway Subway Project and the Surrey- Langley SkyTrain.

The Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia have made unprecedented funding commitments to Phase Two projects. To fully leverage these new federal and provincial contributions, the region must also provide its share of funding for the Phase Two Plan. To complete the regional share, the Mayors' Council has approved the following funding changes:

• Transit fare increase: The Phase Two Plan originally contemplated increases in 2020 and 2021. Under an agreement with the Government of British Columbia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TransLink cancelled the fare increase planned for 2020 and has limited the 2021 fare increases to 2.3%‒half of what was originally planned.

• Parking sales tax increase: a 3% increase to the parking sales tax beginning in 2019.

• Property tax increase: an increase to property taxes beginning in 2019, estimated at $5.50 per average household.

• Development cost charge (DCC): an increase in annual revenues generated by the Development Cost Charge (DCC) for transit.

• Commercial revenues: collection of new commercial revenues (retail, filming, fibre optics) around SkyTrain infrastructure.

The revenue from these funding changes funds about 5% of the Phase Two Plan, or an average of $43 million annually beginning in 2019.

Learn more about funding.

The funding changes are intended to be modest and balanced across Metro Vancouver residents, affecting transit users, drivers, property owners and real estate developers:

• Transit fare increases: The Phase Two Plan originally contemplated increases in 2020 and 2021. Under an agreement with the Government of British Columbia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TransLink cancelled the fare increase planned for 2020 and has limited the 2021 fare increases.

• Parking sales tax: An increase to the parking sales tax rate by 3%, from 21% to 24%. For a parkade that charges $5 per hour, this increases the cost of parking by 12 cents per hour.

• Property tax: An increase in property taxes estimated at $5.50 increase per average household each year, or about 46 cents per month.

• Development cost charge (DCC): An increase of about $300 to $800 in the Development Cost Charge on new residential units, depending on type of dwelling. Non-residential DCC rates may change as well. This is subject to consultation with stakeholders.

Learn more about funding.

Learn more about Phase Two improvements for your community on the Investments Underway page, which includes maps of proposed bus service improvements for every part of the region.

The Phase Two Plan was approved June 28, 2018 and Metro Vancouver residents will start to see new Phase Two transit services as early as 2019. Due to the unforeseen economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the delivery of certain Phase Two projects was put on hold. These projects will be reviewed in the next Investment Plan that is currently underway.

TransLink, the Government of Canada and the Province of BC are contributing more than $9 billion in transit and transportation investments across Metro Vancouver to achieve the Mayors' 10-Year Vision. The Province committed to funding 40% of Phase Two which includes rapid transit in Surrey, the Broadway Subway and several others.

The total estimated cost of the Broadway Subway Project (Millennium Line Broadway Extension) is $2.83 billion with $47 million of project costs funded in the Phase One Plan.

At the request of the City of Surrey in November 2018, the Surrey-Newton-Guildford light rail transit (LRT) project was suspended to instead pursue a SkyTrain extension to Langley, now known as the Surrey Langley SkyTrain. Visit the Surrey Langley SkyTrain website to learn more. Stage 1 of the Surrey Langley SkyTrain is currently under review.

Learn more about the rapid transit projects in the Phase Two Plan.

The Phase Three Plan was scheduled to be developed in 2019-2020 and was to include all remaining initiatives in the 10-Year Vision that were not included in the Phase One or Phase Two Plan. However, due to the unforeseen economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, in October 2020, the Mayors’ Council put the Phase Three Plan on pause. Instead, the next Investment Plan will focus on COVID-19 recovery. Phase Three projects will be revisited after Transport 2050 is approved in early 2022, and as the Mayors’ Council develops a refreshed 10-Year Vision in mid-2022.

For a full list of these remaining Phase Three Investments, see the 10-Year Vision Dashboard.