NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release 2010TRAN0027-000623 May 21, 2010

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

 

OLYMPIC TRANSIT SERVICE WINS NATIONAL RECOGNITION

 

VICTORIA – BC Transit and TransLink have been recognized by the Canadian Urban Transportation Authority (CUTA) for exceptional service during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, announced Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Shirley Bond.

 

The two agencies were part of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Transportation Team (OPTT), a partnership between the Province’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the City of Vancouver, VANOC, TransLink and BC Transit.

 

“The remarkable performance of our entire transportation system during the 2010 Winter Games was the result of years of planning and hard work,” said Bond. “Numerous agencies came together with a common purpose and helped British Columbia shine on the world stage. I would like to congratulate TransLink, BC Transit, and in fact all of our partners for this national recognition and thank them for delivering on such an incredibly successful plan.”

 

CUTA's National Transit Corporate Recognition Award recognized the delivery of world-class service, record ridership and the strength of Canada's transit industry.

 

In Metro Vancouver total ridership on all transit modes during the Games was 31 per cent higher than normal, averaging 1.58 million boardings per weekday. The Canada Line averaged over 228,000 passengers per weekday, a 118-per cent increase over a normal weekday.

 

In the Sea to Sky Corridor, BC Transit increased its supply of buses by over 300 per cent, which allowed for 24-hour bus service between Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton during the Games.

 

“An efficient public transportation system is essential to the success of any Olympic Games,” said Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee. “During the Vancouver 2010 Games, the local authorities rose to the challenge and deserve to be praised for their efforts. I congratulate them on their outstanding performance.”

 

In Metro Vancouver, provincial investments in the Canada Line, new SkyTrain cars, a new SeaBus and hundreds of new buses helped lead to a dramatic increase in transit use during the Olympic Winter Games, while also leaving a lasting Olympic transit legacy.

 

 

In Whistler, BC Transit used the unprecendented exposure from hosting the Olympic Games to successfully showcase the world’s largest hydrogen fuel cell bus fleet, along with a state-of-the-art servicing and fuelling facility.

 

The award was presented at the CUTA Annual Conference in Ottawa.

 

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Media Contact:

Jeff Knight Public Affairs Bureau Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure 250 356-7707

 

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