@jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social and @victoria.ca (2025 OCP), along with @bctransit.com (the 2011 Rapid Transit Report) have in the past called for street-running LRT like the Finch West line. As a region, we need to do better than Toronto on this.

This speaks to the unwieldy model of transit funding BC (outside of metro van) operates under, where the province effectively caps transit local transit funding because everything is cost-shared at a specific ratio.
To get high capacity and frequency we need low ops cost.

Unfortunately, since 2011 we’ve limited the discussion to at-grade rail. We need to expand the vision of what’s possible for Victoria and the CRD.

We’ve been arguing that at the very least our region should be considering a service that can be automated.

This returns to the core advocacy point we’ve been telling policymakers. Rather than particular modes (BRT, LRT, etc) we need to focus on the outcome we want—fast, frequent, reliable, and cheap to operate and build transit.

You are right, I was also remembering this chart from the 2025 update

Back in 2011 BC transit studied basically this and determined that a rail system would suit our city better. Basically BRT wouldn’t be able to keep up with ridership and would be too operationally expensive. We are pushing local officials to consider automated rail for the long term.

When BC Transit studied the issue in 2024, they came up with 5 options to implement airport service. Have a look:

www.bctransit.com/wp-content/u...

A direct downtown-airport connection is long overdue, but BC Transit’s current plan is to detour the 72 to the airport and by moving the 81 off of Lochside Drive. This would add 10 minutes to trips downtown from Sidney and ferry, and halve transit service for many Sidney residents.

We are encouraging people to email the Transit Commissioners.
[email protected]
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@ohtheurbanity.bsky.social we’d be happy to sit down with you and talk about what needs to be done to get more and better transit in Victoria

The airport should have better service, but there are major issues that come first: no yard space, a consistent lack of funding, busses stuck in traffic across the city, and overcrowding on major routes.

Any “service improvements” are zero sum until these issues are addressed.

And lastly, here is the full media advisory from BC Transit!

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Here's where to find tomorrow's event and what to expect:

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