Whereas local governments with populations under 10,000 people are predominantly rural in nature, characterized by low population density, dispersed development patterns, and limited ridership potential; And whereas these smaller rural communities lack the tax base and ridership volumes necessary to offset operating and capital costs through fares or local revenues; And whereas provincial transit funding models tend to favour large urban centres, leaving rural communities to shoulder a disproportionate share of transit costs through local taxation resulting in lowridership rural transit systems which are financially unsustainable to maintain and which divert limited local government resources from essential services and infrastructure: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the provincial government develop flexible, long-term, and predictable funding programs tailored specifically to rural transportation needs.
