The Metro Vancouver Mayors’ Council is pressuring the province to commit to more investment in public transit now that the BC NDP has been re-elected.

At a meeting Thursday, Chairman Brad West said funding needed to be in place by April 30, 2025 in order to “avoid a doomsday scenario of significant cuts and reductions in services across the region.”

North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan asked Sara Ross, TransLink’s vice-president of transportation, policy and planning, if a deal would be signed by then.

Ross said that was the goal, but “whether we can achieve that is unclear at this time.”

The mayors’ council said that if new financing solutions are not put in place by then, TransLink will not be able to maintain current services beyond January 2026.

Malcolm Brodie, vice-president of the group, said if cuts did happen they would be drastic.

“Some cities are going to lose a considerable amount of their bus transportation, even the SkyTrain lines, Canada Line – there will be cuts on those lines,” he said.

TransLink faces an annual deficit of $600 million.

The mayors’ council is asking higher levels of government for $2.9 billion a year for a 10-year expansion project.

Brodie said he wants to meet with the province immediately.

“This will have real consequences if we all fail to come to the table and find a solution in the immediate future,” he said.

The NDP said it is currently working on forming a new cabinet. Once this is determined, a meeting with the council of mayors will take place.