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A Saanich councillor is calling for free transit bus passes for everyone under age 19 living in the capital region, and the transit commission’s chairwoman said it is studying the issue.
Saanich Coun. Nathalie Chambers has introduced a motion that council endorse her proposal and encourage the Victoria Regional Transit Commission to make free youth bus passes a part of its 2020 budget.
“I’m trying to support a regional initiative,” said Chambers, adding that if that fails, she will seek support for a motion calling on Saanich staff to explore alternate funding mechanisms to provide free bus passes for Saanich youth aged seven to 17.
“I really see that getting free transit passes for youth is really, really a simple thing here that we could do to get 50 per cent of the cars off the road.”
Saanich Coun. Susan Brice, who chairs the transit commission, said its 2020 budget has already been forwarded to the province, so there’s no likelihood the youth pass initiative could be introduced next year.
But, Brice said, the commission is studying the issue.
“We have asked staff to provide additional information for us. We know all the other requirements that are needed at the transit commission and we will, in due course, take appropriate action,” Brice said.
In May, Victoria started requiring payment for street parking on Sundays to offset the cost of buying bus passes for all youth under 19 in the city beginning in September. That Sunday parking revenue is estimated at $500,000 a year — far short of the $858,000 cost of the passes.
“Victoria has this very unusual situation where they have the parking money,” Brice said. “If Saanich were to look for the similar proposal, we’d have to be saying it would come off property taxes.”
In her motion, Chambers notes that Victoria’s introduction of the youth transit pass in the fall will create disparities among youth who live in different municipalities, including those attending the same school and in some cases living on the same street — for example, Richmond Road, Tolmie Avenue and Harriet Street, which border the two municipalities.
Brice said a detailed estimate of the cost of providing Saanich youth with bus passes has not been done, but it could be about $1 million.
Inside Victoria 