Five days a week, Samuel Goertzen braves the crowds on the Fraser Valley Express, riding it from Abbotsford to Burnaby and back. He's one of thousands of daily riders, many of them crammed into the bus as it reaches its maximum capacity during peak hours.

"I've seen it go almost overpacked," he told CBC News. "It feels unsafe."

Goertzon, an SFU student, sometimes leaves home as early as 5:30 a.m. just to beat the rush — even if it means he arrives at school hours before his classes start.

"I know …