Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Whistler transit details to be revealed

Plan will result in 19 per cent service reduction, but is short $1.1 million
68437_l

Transit users in Whistler are facing a 19 per cent reduction in service going forward, but that's far less than one of the three options that the municipality considered as part of its transit service review.

The municipality is in the process of completing a schedule that will show what that reduced service will look like. A sneak peak of the plan may be available as early as the Oct. 18 council meeting.

According to Mayor Ken Melamed, the exercise has been a challenge and will result in both an increase in transit funding and decrease in the level of service. It was a compromise, he said, that other local governments around the province are also having to make.

"We've been attending the BC Transit information updates at the UBCM every year, so there was some advance warning. They've been forecasting significant increases in costs, and I think the reality is that costs have grown in excess of forecasts - they were saying 10 per cent, but it appears they've gone up again."

Melamed said he was less interested in understanding the percentages than he is in how the Resort Municipality of Whistler is going to rationalize the service, cut its size and bring down the funding gap.

"My view, and it's safe to say that I speak on behalf of council, is that we remain committed to providing transit," he said. "I know a lot of employees count on the service, and it speaks to the affordability of living here. You don't have to own a car and pay insurance, which is a critical factor for the success of the resort community.

"The question is how do we provide that affordability option for our workforce, the community and visitors that want to use the service. But we also need to be responsible. We just can't afford the level of service that we've been enjoying."

At the Sept. 6 council meeting, a plan was approved in principle that will see the service hours for Whistler reduced to 60,500 hours annually from a recent high of roughly 75,000 hours. One option considered, which would freeze funding at current 2010-2011 levels, would have resulted in service cuts to roughly 30,000 hours per year, while the "minimally acceptable solution" put forward by the municipality and BC Transit called for additional funding to reach 58,600 hours.

After taking input from the public on the different options, council and staff have decided to pursue the minimally acceptable option while making changes to the plan based on public feedback that will add 1,900 hours to service levels. That solution will require a $1.1 million increase in funding this year.

Melamed said they have not made a decision where that funding will come from at this point, but no further fare increases are being considered. Since 2008, the cost of taking transit in Whistler has increased from $1.50 to $2.50, which puts it on par with transit costs in Vancouver. Some of the revenue ideas being considered include charging to use the village shuttle and renting out space and facilities at the new transit depot to commercial operators - an option that would need approval from the Ministry of Transportation.

Melamed said the breakdown of why costs have increased should be included in the final report. They did ask BC Transit to look at issues such as the new transit facility and hydrogen fleet, and were assured that there was no impact. In fact, the review did uncover one cost that was being paid by the municipality that should have been covered by the separate hydrogen bus pilot project.

"We specifically asked that question," said Melamed.

"Is the facility the right size? Has hydrogen impacted the cost? And the answer to both questions came back 'no.' Council is satisfied the questions have been asked and answered, and that the hydrogen bus fleet is providing a great benefit to the community with 20 zero emissions buses that are brand new."

Some of the other reasons given for the skyrocketing cost of transit include rising fuel prices, rising insurance rates and rising wages for staffers. As well, the municipality is paying for the purchase of new buses in its annual budget.

Whistler's new transit facility at Nesters, which includes Canada's largest hydrogen refuelling station, does have a capital cost. The RMOW is on the hook for $11 million of the construction costs, which will be paid back to BC Transit over a period of 30 years.

The financials of the transit service review will be presented to council before the winter schedule starts on Nov. 23, as well as suggestions how the municipality can make up the $1.1 million shortfall.

Under the funding model, provincial costs will also increase. The RMOW pays 53.31 per cent of the budget, with BC Transit matching 46.69 per cent.

The new schedule will attempt to boost service to high service routes while cutting transit to areas that have low ridership and lower cost recovery. For example, said Melamed, service to Emerald Estates will be reduced, while a valley bus service will connect Alpine to Cheakamus Crossing without venturing into any neighbourhoods.

"The message from this council is that there are going to be changes. We already know what some will look like," he said. "And we still have a funding challenge."

The plan presented in early September does include a few transit services over and above the minimal acceptable service identified by BC Transit.

Some of the features of the plan include:

• A Valley Connector route that will connect the north end of the valley to the south.

• Restoring daily service between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m.

• Restoring southbound service to Spring Creek on select trips.

• The Cheakamus Express will operate year-round and will now end at Cheakamus instead of Tamarisk.

• Increased service to the Rainbow subdivision, from 60 minutes to 30 minutes.

• Upper Nordic shuttle route would also serve Tamarisk and part of Alta Lake Road.