With growing overcrowding on buses and trains, and with TransLink admitting in recent months that it is having trouble keeping up with record ridership growth, despite the introduction of new services, it is no wonder that public transit riders in Vancouver think their transit infrastructure is not planned with future growth in mind.

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Forum Research released the findings of its national survey on public transit rider satisfaction this week, which indicated only 29% of Vancouverites believe that enough is being done to expand public transit to accommodate future population growth.

This is behind all four other major cities surveyed, with Calgary at 47%, Edmonton at 41%, Toronto at 33%, and Montreal at 31%.

Interestingly, a non-scientific Daily Hive online poll attached to an article earlier this year, with over 2,500 votes cast, found that capacity was the top attribute SkyTrain service should improve on.

But major immediate service improvements are forthcoming, with new SkyTrain cars being added to all three lines through 2020, improved bus service including three new B-Lines by early next year, and a new SeaBus ferry for higher peak frequencies starting this summer.

The survey also asked riders to weigh in on a number of transit experience factors.

Riders in Vancouver and Calgary — both 83% — were more likely to say their systems are clean, compared to 75% in Montreal, 70% in Edmonton, and 70% in Toronto.

When it comes to frequency, with a rate of 82%, Toronto riders are most likely to believe their service is frequent, followed by Vancouver at 75%, Calgary at 69%, Montreal at 68%, and Edmonton at 66%.

Reliability ratings were relatively consistent across all cities, with Vancouver topping at 80%, Calgary at 78%, Toronto at 77%, Montreal at 76%, and Edmonton at 75%.

But riders in Toronto (48%), Edmonton (48%), and Montreal (45%) are most likely to say they often experience delays. In contrast, Vancouver and Calgary riders are least likely to say they are often delayed, with both cities at 37% for this metric.

For value, Calgary riders (74%) believe their service provides good value for money, ahead of Montreal at 72%, Toronto at 68%, Vancouver at 67%, and Edmonton at 65%.

And finally, when it comes to the metric that is self-determined by riders, Toronto riders believe they are least courteous, with a rating of 69%. Montreal and Edmonton tie for second place in least courteous, at 74%, followed by Vancouver at 76% and Calgary at 79%.

Overall, riders in Montreal (76%) have the highest transit satisfaction scores, with Vancouver coming in at second place (73%), followed by Calgary (70%), Toronto (68%), and Edmonton (66%).

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