In the years to come, Salt Spring’s transit service will need more capacity and additional routes to meet growing demand, according to island officials, who have decided a burgeoning bus system will need funding to match.
From humble two-bus, two-route origins in 2007 — with a “busy” weekday ridership of just over 100 customers, according to Driftwood reporting — the system has grown to offer multiple routes on the island, carrying over 106,000 passengers last year across year-round routes that reach as far north as Fernwood and seasonally as far south as Ruckle Park.
On Thursday, July 17, Salt Spring’s Local Community Commission (LCC) voted in favour of increasing the maximum levy for the island’s Community Transit and Transportation Service, a move LCC members characterized as an affirmation of their commitment to a robust bus system.
“I think this is one of the most important things that we do,” said LCC member Brian Webster. “We need to commit to it, and that means taxpayers being willing to commit to it. If they aren’t, they’re not going to elect people next time who support transit.”
The new requisition bylaw raises the maximum to $900,000 — up from a currently calculated 2025 maximum of $506,538. A 2013 bylaw set the maximum rate as the greater of $245,000 or 7.6 cents per $1,000 in assessed home value; the latter has been greater for some years, given the increase in Salt Spring Island home values.
The new maximum limit could similarly see increases in a pro-rated manner, as it establishes the tax rate at 13.5 cents per $1,000 in assessed value — which in 2025 would pencil out at more than $899,000.
Staff noted these are maximum amounts, and may not immediately be reached; the Route 2 Fulford-to-Ganges service expansion scheduled for the start of 2027, for example, would add an estimated $108,160 to costs, representing a 21 per cent increase over the current maximum requisition, according to a staff report, a total just over $600,000. A similarly scheduled expansion to Route 7 — the Cusheon/Beddis to Ganges route, planned for the summer of 2027, is expected to add less than $19,000 to costs.
“This is a ‘not to exceed’ number,” said LCC chair Earl Rook. “We’re talking about allowing us some flexibility; it’s not a commitment.”
In a presentation earlier in the meeting, BC Transit’s senior manager of government relations Seth Wright had pointed out Salt Spring still holds the unofficial title of “the best-performing small system in the province,” a claim supported by metrics like operating cost per service hour — “We’re paying less on Salt Spring and getting good value,” he said — and passenger trips per service hour — “Close to double, 92 per cent, over what we see in our peer systems.”
“It’s really quite incredible numbers,” said Wright. “That speaks to, I think, Salt Spring’s culture.”
The approval for the increase is allowed to be made at the discretion of the electoral area director. CRD director Gary Holman expressed reservations about insufficient community consultation for the tax increase. The motion was carried with Holman as the lone vote in opposition. In the past he has said he would wield his powers as CRD director in support of LCC decisions.
“The LCC’s run amok!” chuckled LCC member Ben Corno.