Bus Riders Union (Vancouver)
Encyclopedia
The Bus Riders Union in Vancouver
, British Columbia
is a non-profit organization that advocates for better public transit services in Greater Vancouver. It has strongly criticized TransLink for such things as raising bus fares
. It has also criticized the approval of the construction of the Canada Line
rapid transit project, claiming that it would be built at the expense of adequately maintaining the bus system. The BRU is modeled after the Los Angeles
-based Bus Riders Union
. Like its Los Angeles counterpart, the Vancouver BRU argues that transit issues disproportionately affect people of colour, women, and poor people. The BRU engages in various protest, advocacy, and educational activities, and has approximately 950 members.
The campaigns waged by the BRU include a fare strike to protest against rising fares and a campaign to restore the "night owl" late night bus service. The "night owl" bus campaign, launched in 2001, succeeded after Translink voted to reinstate the service in April, 2004. The BRU is also campaigning for more wheelchair accessible and clean air buses.
On October 22, 2005, the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF), at their Fourth Biannual Award of Excellence in Toronto, awarded its top prize to the Vancouver Bus Riders Union. The CRRF identified the "night owl" bus campaign victory as one of the factors which influenced the Awards Jury, chaired by Mary-Woo Sims.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
is a non-profit organization that advocates for better public transit services in Greater Vancouver. It has strongly criticized TransLink for such things as raising bus fares
TransLink fares (Vancouver)
TransLink is the transportation authority in the Metro Vancouver region of British Columbia. It was created in 1998 as a replacement for BC Transit in the city of Vancouver and neighbouring municipalities...
. It has also criticized the approval of the construction of the Canada Line
Canada Line
Canada Line is a rapid transit line in the Metro Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada. Opened in August 2009, it is the third line in TransLink's SkyTrain metro network, servicing Vancouver, Richmond, and the Vancouver International Airport...
rapid transit project, claiming that it would be built at the expense of adequately maintaining the bus system. The BRU is modeled after the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based Bus Riders Union
Bus Riders Union (Los Angeles)
The Bus Riders Union is a United States grassroots civil rights social movement organization established in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Led by a planning committee, its multilingual membership is drawn from the predominantly low-income, African-American, Latino and Asian mass transit...
. Like its Los Angeles counterpart, the Vancouver BRU argues that transit issues disproportionately affect people of colour, women, and poor people. The BRU engages in various protest, advocacy, and educational activities, and has approximately 950 members.
The campaigns waged by the BRU include a fare strike to protest against rising fares and a campaign to restore the "night owl" late night bus service. The "night owl" bus campaign, launched in 2001, succeeded after Translink voted to reinstate the service in April, 2004. The BRU is also campaigning for more wheelchair accessible and clean air buses.
On October 22, 2005, the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF), at their Fourth Biannual Award of Excellence in Toronto, awarded its top prize to the Vancouver Bus Riders Union. The CRRF identified the "night owl" bus campaign victory as one of the factors which influenced the Awards Jury, chaired by Mary-Woo Sims.
External links
- Bus Riders Union Official Site
- Los Angeles Bus Riders Union
- 'Bus Riders pay the price of transit under-funding.' Article by a member of the Vancouver Bus Riders Union.
- http://www.cknw.com/news/news_local.cfm?cat=7428327912&rem=68121&red=80132723aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=news_local.cfm
- 'Vancouver Bus Rider Union Brings Back Night Bus Service'
- 'Bus Riders Win Back Night Owl Buses!'
- 'Vancouver's Bus Riders Union takes top anti-racism award '
- Bus Riders' Union in the news