The Victoria Regional Transit Commission will this week weigh a proposed change to West Shore representation and review a year-end financial update showing a larger than expected surplus.
Tuesday’s meeting will see a major governance recommendation affecting how West Shore communities are represented, alongside financial and operational reports highlighting both opportunities and ongoing pressures within Greater Victoria’s transit system.
Shifting Representation and Governance
BC Transit is recommending a long-term update to the BC Transit Act, arguing that the region’s current transit governance structure has not kept pace with its population growth patterns. The agency says the existing framework no longer reflects where people live or where transit demand is concentrated, particularly as the West Shore continues to expand.
Langford now represents nearly half of the West Shore population and more than one quarter of the entire region but does not have a guaranteed seat on the commission. Currently, the BC Transit Act requires only one West Shore seat, though the province has been appointing a second for years to reflect population growth. This proposal keeps both seats, reserving one for Langford and allowing the other to continue rotating among the remaining West Shore areas.
As an interim step, the commission will consider requesting the province formally assign one of the West Shore seats to the mayor of Langford following the October 2026 municipal election, while work begins on updating the act itself.
Surplus Expected to Surpass $20 Million
A quarterly financial update shows the transit fund is forecast to end the fiscal year at $20.6 million, almost double the budgeted $11.5 million. The transit fund is the system’s reserve account, where year-end surpluses are used to cushion budgets when costs or revenues fluctuate.
The larger than expected surplus reflects several intersecting factors. April’s fare increase boosted passenger revenue above projections while fuel prices were lower than budgeted for much of the year. Ongoing operator and mechanic shortages have reduced total service hours, resulting in lower than planned labour costs. Delayed IT-related work pushed associated expenses into the future.
At roughly 10 per cent of the system’s annual operating budget, the fund is well within what transit agencies typically keep for year-to-year stability.
Operational Performance Improving
Despite the stronger financial position, ridership remains down seven to eight per cent, with total service hour delivery also coming in under target, primarily due to ongoing staffing constraints.
For those who do ride, data shows on-time performance improving to around 72 per cent, with early internal analysis suggesting recent schedule adjustments pushed this to above 76 per cent in January.
Pass-up events, riders unable to board because buses are full, have dropped sharply, falling more than 75 per cent year-over-year. Staff attribute the improvement to a new standing-room-only policy introduced last summer and the targeted use of flex hours on high-demand routes.
Accessible Upgrades
The commission will receive updates on accessibility improvements already underway, including new Braille signage and independent accessibility testing tied to BC Transit’s website modernization. Work is also progressing on a new provincewide handyDART technology platform provided by Vancouver-based Spare, which allows riders to book and manage trips online or through an app while giving transit staff real-time tools for scheduling, dispatching and service monitoring. Victoria will not pilot this technology, but will be among the first systems to fully implement it once testing is complete.
Next Steps
The proposal to reserve one West Shore seat for the mayor of Langford is the only item on Tuesday’s agenda requiring a vote. BC Transit says the commission will meet more frequently this year, with Tuesday’s meeting being the first of six planned.