Surrey mayoral candidate Mike Starchuk’s Imagine Surrey platform would seek a City-subsidized, one-zone monthly TransLink pass priced at $70 for Surrey residents.
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Surrey mayoral candidate Mike Starchuk, alongside his Imagine Surrey party, says that if elected it would pursue a discounted one-zone monthly TransLink public transit pass for Surrey residents, with the City of Surrey covering the remaining cost.
The party’s proposal would set the subsidized pass price at $70 per month and, based on TransLink’s adult one-zone monthly fare of $117.20 as of July 2026, would target an estimated 40 per cent reduction from that fare. It estimates savings of $47.20 per month, or $566.40 annually, for each resident receiving the subsidy for all 12 months.
Imagine Surrey says the one-zone monthly pass would allow unlimited bus trips anywhere in Metro Vancouver, while SkyTrain and SeaBus travel would follow TransLink’s weekday three-zone system before mid-evening. The party says passengers holding the one-zone pass would need to add to their fare to travel on SkyTrain and SeaBus.
Under the plan, the subsidized pass would be loaded onto a passenger’s existing Compass Card. The party also says residents would verify once a year that they live in Surrey through a proposed “SurreyPass.”
Imagine Surrey says it would pursue the program through a TransLink sponsored passes arrangement and that getting the program started for Surrey residents would not require a vote at TransLink’s Mayors’ Council. The party says it would then seek a bulk purchasing agreement with TransLink during its term.
In explaining the proposed municipal contribution, the party points to Surrey’s growing population. It cites Statistics Canada figures for Surrey’s population of 703,531 in 2025 and projections of 703,910 in 2026, 718,000 in 2027, and 736,000 in 2028.
Imagine Surrey city councillor candidate Narima Dela Cruz said, “Surrey is on its way to a million [residents]. We have the buying power. It’s time City Hall used it.”
The platform announcement does not provide a total municipal budget for the subsidy, eligibility details, a cap on participation, an estimate of how many residents would sign up, or a proposed launch timeline. It also does not specify whether the bulk purchasing approach would require additional participation thresholds or how administrative costs would be handled.
Beyond discounted transit fares, Imagine Surrey says it would coordinate traffic signals and widen select major roads to improve travel for buses and drivers, and it would build 50 km of sidewalks along roads that currently lack them. The broader transportation platform also calls for three bus rapid transit (BRT) routes, advocacy for a SkyTrain extension through Newton to South Surrey, and West Coast Express commuter rail service on the south side of the Fraser River. The party also promises a public washroom at every public transit hub within Surrey’s jurisdiction.
Imagine Surrey says it is running a full slate of eight candidates for Surrey City Council, including Starchuk and Dela Cruz. The other listed candidates are Yousef Aldabainah-Barakat, Chandan Chahal, Perminder Chohan, Ashiyana Hanif, William Li, Margaret Mubanda, and Kevin Wilkie.
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