MoveUP is sharing the stories of our members who are voting Yes in the transit referendum and their reasons why. First up: Vivian, who works as a Facilities Maintenance Shop Clerk at Coast Mountain Bus Company.

I live in Langley and I take transit most days to get to work – three buses and a SkyTrain. I drive once a week because work starts quite early. Without transit, I wouldn’t be able to go to work four out of five days of the week.

It takes me one to one-and-a-half hours to get to work by transit, and 30 minutes to an hour by car, depending on traffic and weather. I’d much rather spend my commute reading a book or, better yet, enjoying a relaxed breakfast rather than rushing to catch my connection.

Expanded transit and transportation services to Metro Vancouver would mean more frequent buses to and from the city, providing service to the public to make it more convenient, economical and efficient.

A lot of my friends ride transit. My student friends need it to get to university. My mom friends use it to get around with their young kids and strollers. Without transit, university students can’t afford to go to class by car and pay for parking on top of bridge tolls and gasoline. My friends that travel with their children in strollers are often passed up because their buses are too full to accommodate the stroller. We need to provide transit for new moms who have to take their kids to doctor’s appointments.

I’ve seen clients missing their connections, which makes them miss appointments or become late for work. I’ve been stranded in remote areas of town waiting for an hour to get the next bus. Transit in suburban areas of Metro Vancouver needs to run more frequently. I miss just one bus I can be at least 45 minutes late for work. And there is no other option for transportation. When we had the SkyTrain power outages, it took over three hours to travel from North Burnaby to South Langley, which is three times the amount of traveling time compared to a normal work to home commute. We need to invest in our system, not starve it.

Not everyone can afford a car and gasoline. Transit is a main source of transportation for most people, when they need to run errands or get to doctor’s appointments, school or work. It’s important to have reliable service on a daily basis.

By voting Yes, you will be helping to build a foundation for public transit for the years to come. Better transit will make your community more accessible to everyone, more friendly to the environment,  and more affordable.