It’s hard to argue against support for public transit.
Anything that reduces the number of vehicles on our roads or improves the quality of life for those who do not own a vehicle must be a good thing, right? And as we so often hear, Salt Spring Island’s transit system is well used when compared to those in other communities in B.C. So it’s easy to see why it’s tempting for the Salt Spring Local Community Commission (LCC) to support growing the system.
But before committing to the eventual 78 per cent increase in property tax support for an expanded system, the LCC and Capital Regional District (CRD) should make the case that such an increase is justified. In 2025, Salt Spring property owners contributed about $450,000 to the local transit service. It cost the owner of an average-assessed million-dollar property about $68 of the $1,230 tax levy paid to the CRD (not counting extra monies paid by those who live within CRD water or sewer service areas). Contributing that amount for bus service seems perfectly reasonable. But considering island geography and where people live, we can’t help wonder how much more service it truly makes sense to add and pay for.
A recommended expansion of Route 2 between Fulford and Ganges is justified by current demand, so there’s no argument there. But the next suggested expansion is to extend the Beddis/Cusheon route (#7) by 1.8 kilometres from the Beddis/Cusheon Lake Road intersection to Beddis Beach. The least expensive of two options presented in a report to the LCC would cost taxpayers an additional $32,320 of the estimated $77,413 cost. That same report tells us that a weekly average of 32 trips were made by people on the Beddis route’s three daily round trips. It seems impossible to believe that many more souls living in and around the proposed extended area might want to ride a bus to justify such a cost.
Has anyone canvassed residents living in the affected area to see if they have a need for the service? The simple fact is that it is extremely difficult for a schedule with only a few trips per day to be usable for most people, and it would be ridiculous to fund enough buses to make it more usable. Then there’s the fact that travel in a private vehicle will likely always be preferred by most: for comfort, privacy and convenience.
The LCC/CRD can and likely will raise the allowable requisition amount for local transit, which is fine. But they and BC Transit need to justify reasons for spending it at every stop along the way.