Connect communities with more frequent and affordable transit

Every community has two transportation systems: a network of roads and parking facilities for motorists, plus sidewalks, paths and public transit to serve travellers who cannot, should not or prefer not to drive.

Governments spend far more on infrastructure for motorists than for non-drivers.

According to our analysis, British Columbia governments spend about $1,000 annually per capita on roads, $215 to subsidize urban transit, plus about $50 on sidewalks and bikeways, but less than $5 on interregional bus services connecting communities.

This is unfair and costly. It deprives non-drivers of independent mobility, forces motorists to waste time and money chauffeuring non-drivers, and increases traffic congestion, crashes and pollution.

Inadequate transit services force many travellers to spend more than they can afford on vehicles, and drive under stressful and dangerous conditions, such as over the Malahat during winter.

Current demographic and economic trends — aging populations, rising vehicle costs, plus growing health and environmental concerns — are increasing the need for better transit.

Public transit services are particularly inadequate between communities.

For example, B.C. Transit offers only four daily trips between Victoria and Duncan, all oriented to commuters from Duncan to Victoria, with $10 one-way fares.

There are only three Saturday trips and no Sunday, reverse commute, or evening services.

Victoria transit users cannot visit Duncan or Nanaimo and return the same day, and people in those communities cannot reach most Victoria airport or Swartz Bay ferry connections by bus. Because service is inconvenient and expensive, transit carries less than one per cent of travellers over the Malahat.

In contrast, between Sooke and Victoria there are 43 daily buses with $2.50 fares. Because service is frequent and affordable, buses serve 22% of that corridor’s peak period trips.

Achieving that ridership level between Victoria and Duncan would help solve Island Highway traffic problems, saving tens of millions of dollars annually in traveller and government costs.

Why is transit service so good on some corridors and bad on others?

Because Sooke and Victoria are both in the Capital Regional District, making it easy to plan transit connections, but Victoria and Duncan are in different districts, and the province has no standard process for planning and funding interregional transit connections.

Currently, interregional bus improvements require years of planning and 50% local funding. That is unfair and inadequate; it forces local governments to subsidize non-resident travellers and underinvests in non-drivers.

The province recently applied a much lower “enhanced” cost-sharing rate for new Highway 16 bus routes, in recognition that the traditional funding model is unsuitable for long-distance bus services, but has not offered this for Vancouver Island routes.

To increase fairness and reduce traffic problems, our organization, Better Island Transit advocates for more frequent and affordable Vancouver Island bus services.

Specifically, we request at least hourly service on the 66 (Duncan to Victoria) and 70 (Duncan to Nanaimo) routes, with $5 maximum one-way fares, so travel between central and south Vancouver Island becomes much more convenient and affordable. Both the Capital Regional District and Cowichan Valley Regional District transit boards support this proposal, but implementation will require additional provincial funding.

A commentary by Todd Litman the president of Better Island Transit.

Published in the July 18^th edition of the Times Colonist