TransLink, officially known as the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority, is a transportation organization which services transportation needs of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD).

It was created in 1998 by the Government of British Columbia to replace BC Transit in the GVRD, and take over many of the transportation responsibilities which previously were provincial.

TransLink operates or oversees many transportation functions, including:

• SkyTrain;
• SeaBus;
• West Coast Express;
• Buses;
• HandyDART ;
• The AirCare automobile emissions program;
• The Albion car ferry;
• The Major Road Network (major arteries of regional importance); and
• The Knight, Patullo, and Westham Island Bridges.

Board of directors

The TransLink board is made up of 12 members appointed by the Greater Vancouver Regional District, representing the municipalities in the Greater Vancouver. The provincial government has the option of appointing 3 members to the board as well, but the appointees resigned in 2001, citing conflict of interest with their positions as MLA's. Since that time, the provincial government has declined to name any representatives to the board.

The current (2005) members of the board are:

• Mayor Malcolm Brodie Richmond
• Mayor Larry Campbell Vancouver
• Councillor David Cadman Vancouver
• Mayor Joe Trasolini Port Moody
• Mayor Marlene Grinnell Langley City
• Councillor Marvin Hunt Surrey
• Mayor Jon Kingsbury Coquitlam
• Councillor Raymond Louie Vancouver
• Mayor Kathy Morse Maple Ridge
• Mayor Doug McCallum Surrey (chair)
• Mayor Barbara Sharp North Vancouver City
• Mayor Wayne Wright New Westminster

The conflicting interests of the board members, whose primary responsibility is to the electors in their municipality, often causes problems. Most board members are from suburban municipalities, whereas the heaviest transit users are in the City of Vancouver.

See Also

• Société de transport de Montréal
• OC Transpo
• Toronto Transit Commission

External links

• TransLink home page