Waste Of The Day Awards

Super Salary Sundays

In 2012, it was revealed that Transit Police officers were paid out $1.4 million extra in 25% bonuses for working Sundays from 2008-12.

TransLink posted a six-figured Transit Police officer outside a closed-door Mayors’ Council meeting to protect them from – wait for it – the media. Fun fact: no reporters were planning to storm the meeting.

Impotent IMPACT

TransLink taxpayers picked up the tab for a Transit Police office to serve with an auto crime team called IMPACT. This was worthless to TransLink, as a Transit Police audit confirmed: “The track record of IMPACT at Park and Ride locations has been described as lacking.”

Pestilent Parking

TransLink spent $4.5 million to improve and expand a jammed-full South Surrey parking lot, but it has sat empty since bringing in a $2 parking fee. TransLink’s mismanagement of the lot “earned” it a national Teddy Waste Award.

Copper Conflicts

An independent Edmonton police report found TransLink’s transit police to cause conflict with other police agencies: “Some police departments don’t want any involvement by the Transit Police. There are times when [local detachments] will refuse to take the call because of the existence of a Transit Police group.”

Bridge Boo-Boo

Years after opening, TransLink spent thousands on full-page newspaper ads and glossy flyers to encourage people to use the Golden Ears Bridge.

Money For Mystery Mishaps

TransLink pays $100,000 a year for “mystery shoppers” – fake passengers who grade the system. This despite reams of feedback on Twitter and other channels from real passengers. Worse, these mystery shopper excursions are terminated when the system is having problems.

Freebies For Employees

While TransLink scrapped FareSaver discounts, free rides for their own employees were kept.

Passed Up For Patrol

99% of Transit Police files are generated in five cities: New Westminster, Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby and Richmond. The other 17 TransLink municipalities – all of whom pay into the force - have a better chance of seeing Bigfoot than a transit cop.

Flamboyant Philantropy

TransLink promised 170 stakeholders that it would make $5,000 in charitable donations if they answered a survey about how well they communicate. Mayor Lois Jackson was incredulous: “It's just another example of people in charge of multi-million dollar spending, like a drunken sailor. I just think it's terrible.”