New changes for Tri-Cities transit, such as a new one zone bus fare, is only the first of many. The expansion and redirection of bus routes to accommodate the upcoming Evergreen SkyTrain line and the advancement of the Compass card system are all part of the upcoming year’s schedule.
Effective on October 5, passengers can travel anywhere on one or more buses (or by HandyDart) by paying only a one-zone fare. Concession fare is $1.75 for a single trip applicable anywhere in Metro Vancouver and applies to children 5 to 13 years old, secondary students ages 14 to 19 with a valid GoCard and seniors 65+ with proof of age.
Even so, people will still have to pay for additional zones when travelling on the SkyTrain or SeaBus. However, if a passenger stays in a single zone, and uses both a bus and SkyTrain, they will be charged for only one zone as long as their travel is within 90 minutes.
Commuters that travel by transit more frequently should look into monthly fare passes, or once they become available to the general public in November – Compass Cards. Compass is the reloadable electronic fare card that works everywhere on transit in Metro Vancouver. They will be available in Compass vending machines, retail locations, online at compasscard.ca or at the Compass Customer Service Centre at Stadium-Chinatown Station. TransLink has designed a plan to bring Compass to passengers by stages. Once complete, the easy-to-use card will replace all current passes and tickets. According to TransLink’s acting CEO Cathy McLay, early 2016 will likely be when TransLink stops using paper tickets, Faresaver books included. This week, TransLink will test the Compass Card system to the public at SkyTrain and Canada Line stations in Metro Vancouver.
As well as having the Evergreen Line open in fall 2016, TransLink has outlined bus route expansion and redirection changes for the Tri-Cities area. “Some current bus routes will become redundant and discontinued, while other bus routes will be adjusted to accommodate new travel patterns and improve connections to the SkyTrain network,” said TransLink. However, plans will still include missing service for one of the fastest-developing areas in the Tri-Cities — Burke Mountain.
Many changes for TransLink are expected to affect riders in the Tri-City region. A survey will be posted on the TransLink website between October 13 and November 6, allowing the public to express their opinion on how resources should be distributed.

Photo courtesy of: https://stephenrees.wordpress.com/2006/11/01/translinks-new-livery/