Latest news with #NightBus
Global News
22-07-2025
- Business
- Global News
Vancouver to allow liquor service until 4 a.m. downtown, extends hours elsewhere
Late-night revellers in Vancouver will soon have more options after city councillors approved new, later liquor service hours. Under the changes, the latest closing time for liquor service in downtown Vancouver will be extended to 4 a.m. Areas outside of the downtown core will see the latest closing time extended to 3 a.m. on weekends, and 2 a.m. every night. The changed service hours would not apply automatically; businesses will still have to apply to have their liquor licence updated, a process that requires neighbour and community input. 2:00 Vancouver seeks input on extending liquor serving hours The bylaw changes will also lift restrictions on service hours for new liquor licence-holding businesses in their initial months of operation. Story continues below advertisement Vancouver Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung said longer serving hours can help businesses bring in a little more revenue. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'It can really help, in terms of people are struggling right now with affordability, a lot of increasing costs for small businesses,' she said. Vince Marino, who operates the Junction and Pumpjack pubs, told Global News the public likely won't notice a major change. 'It'll just allow us to decide whether we stay open or not,' he said. 'I don't think that it's going to be across the board, seven days of the week that we're gonna stay open to 4 a.m. That's not the idea of it.' According to a report to council on the liquor law modernization, the Vancouver Police Department was not opposed to the changes. 'The proposed changes are not expected to significantly impact police operations, as existing establishments are not all operating to maximum hours and uptake of later hours is anticipated to be incremental,' the report states. The report notes that when the latest service hours in parts of downtown and the Downtown Eastside were extended to 3 a.m. in 2023, fewer than a quarter of licensees applied for the later hours. 0:40 Vancouver exploring extending liquor serving hours It notes, however, that Vancouver Coastal Health raised concerns about the later service hours, flagging potential negative effects on public health including increased alcohol consumption, more injuries, the potential for violence and harm to others. Story continues below advertisement The report also considered transportation options, acknowledging that the SkyTrain ends service before 1:30 a.m. It said TransLink's NightBus service offers late-night service to neighbouring communities every 20-30 minutes, and that the expansion of rideshare services have helped ease pressure on taxis. 'Many of our buses run past 1 a.m. And then we have the NightBus service that mirrors the SkyTrain system,' TransLink spokesperson Tina Lovgreen said. 'So that runs throughout the night and gets people to where they need to go. And we do have plans to extend that service through our Access For Everyone plan.' The changes won't take effect until this fall, when staff return to council with updated bylaws to reflect the new later service hours. As of April this year, Vancouver had 209 liquor-primary licensed businesses such as bars and nightclubs, and 1,225 restaurants with a food-primary liquor licence.
Global News
13-05-2025
- Global News
Complete closure of Pattullo Bridge to take place Victoria Day long weekend
Commuters take note, the Pattullo Bridge will be closed in both directions during the Victoria Day long weekend due to construction work. TransLink said in a statement that the closure will take place from May 16 at 9 p.m. until May 20 at 5 a.m. Pedestrians and cyclists can still use the bridge but no vehicle traffic will be allowed during this time. The work is part of the Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project and will involve installing drainage and completing foundations for the approaches to the new replacement bridge in New Westminster and Surrey. Excavation will take place over the weekend, blocking access to the bridge. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy TransLink says drivers and transit users should plan for up to 30 minutes of additional travel time as they will have to use the Port Mann or Alex Fraser bridges as alternatives. Story continues below advertisement N19 NightBus trips affected by the closures will be rerouted over the Alex Fraser and Queensborough bridges between New Westminster and Scott Road stations. 1:48 Completion dates for Broadway subway, Pattullo Bridge pushed back Customers are encouraged to check Transit Alerts and use Trip Planner for more information.
CBC
28-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
TransLink announces 4% fare increase for 2025
The TransLink board of directors has approved an average fare increase of four per cent, which will take effect on July 1, 2025. It's the highest increase since the start of the pandemic, with single-zone fares increasing 15 cents from $3.20 to $3.35. Two-zone fares will increase by 20 cents to $4.85, and three-zone fares will rise by 25 cents to $6.60. Fare increases were cancelled in 2020 as the pandemic hit and held at an average increase of 2.3 per cent per year from 2021 to 2024. The increases were kept below inflation and managed through the federal Safe Restart Agreement, designed to help provinces and territories recover from the effects of the pandemic. According to the TransLink board, the agreement expired on Dec. 31, 2024. Looming shortfall Last summer, TransLink said in a statement that current relief funding from the government would be coming to an end in 2025 and that without a new solution to address the funding gap, potential cuts would need to be made. The statement talked about cutting bus service in half, cancelling all NightBus and West Coast Express services, and significantly reducing HandyDART, SkyTrain and SeaBus services. WATCH | TransLink CEO explains funding challenges: Even with a recent crackdown on fares — TransLink reports that 2.2 million riders were checked last year — 2024 revenues of $63 million were down by approximately $2 million from 2023. TransLink says it expects to be short by about $72 million this year, and starting next year, it is predicting an annual operational shortfall of $600 million. Late last week, the federal government announced more than $1.5 billion over 10 years for transit in Metro Vancouver under the new Canada Public Transit Fund. Quinn said in a statement that he was looking forward to continuing TransLink's partnership with Ottawa to expand transit and meet the region's needs. Difficult for low-income riders, advocates say "Paying more and getting less is honestly, I think, why some people are protesting. "It's absolutely crazy in the Lower Mainland," said transit rider Faith Brown. "Why aren't our taxes paying for this?" Brown also expressed concern for people on fixed incomes and pensions and said she found it really frustrating that there weren't other options to help cover the costs falling on transit riders. Denis Agar agrees that it will be difficult for low-income riders. "There's no question that it's going to be a hardship, especially for people that have to do the three-zone fare," said Agar, who is the executive director of Movement, a non-profit that fights for better public transit in Metro Vancouver. "That means over $200 a month now for someone commuting from Surrey to Vancouver." He says that it's below what fares used to be in 2020 when inflation is factored in, but added that it's not much solace for people. Agar also said that the fare increase will only provide TransLink with about $20 million in revenue when it needs $600 million. He says he is pushing for low-income fare passes — which, he says, have worked in other cities, including Kamloops, Calgary, Edmonton and Regina.
