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Transit service is a matter of equity, says New West school board

Transit service isn’t just a matter of convenience; it’s a matter of equity.
bus, transit, New Westminster
The New Westminster school board says transit service isn't just an issue of convenience; it's a matter of equity.

Transit service isn’t just a matter of convenience; it’s a matter of equity.

That’s the message the New Westminster school board is sending in a letter to provincial and federal offficials, asking them to ensure that funding is available so that transit services can continue to operate through and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

School trustees voted May 26 to send the letter, which stresses the importance of transit to the school district’s students and families.

“Many of our middle school and high school students rely on transit to get to school,” the letter reads. “Students in New Westminster start taking the bus when they are 11 years old to get to middle school. High school students come to our one centrally located high school from all parts of our city, including from the other side of the Fraser River from Queensborough.”

The letter points out that the system is also crucial for families who use transit as their primary mode of transportation on a daily basis – those who choose not to have cars and, more often, those who can’t afford them.

It asks officials to provide enough funding to keep transit services accessible as school districts pave the way to reopening schools.

“It’s more than a matter of convenience, it’s a matter of equity,” the letter reads. “Without a strong transit system in place, it would restrict access to our schools, and it would further disadvantage some of our students who most depend on the vital array of supports they receive there.”

The suggestion to advocate for transit funding came from trustee Dee Beattie, who brought the issue forward after news came to light in April that TransLink was seeking emergency relief funding to offset its losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although some provincial relief funding has since been announced, trustees agreed at an earlier committee meeting that the issue is still an important one because funding needs to remain stable even after the pandemic crisis has passed.