Whereas rural communities rely heavily on public transit for access to essential services, employment, education, and social activities; And whereas the current rural transit system is insufficient to meet the growing needs of rural riders, leading to challenges in accessibility and mobility for residents: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM advocate for increased funding and resources from provincial and federal governments to expand and improve rural transit services; And be it further resolved that UBCM call on the provincial and federal governments for initiatives aimed at enhancing the frequency, coverage, and reliability of rural transit to better serve the needs of rural riders and promote sustainable and equitable access to transit.
Ministry of Transportation and Transit The Ministry of Transportation and Transit recognizes the unique transportation challenges faced by small and rural communities. Under the BC Transit model, local governments are responsible for requesting service from BC Transit that meets the needs of their community and that they are willing to cost-share. They are also responsible for setting fares and receiving the fare revenue to contribute to their share of costs. The Province cost-shares in all BC Transit services and since 2017 the Province has increased BC Transits operating funding by more than 70 percent, increasing transit service levels across the province. Within Canada, BC is a proven leader in providing high levels of both operating funding for public transit with over 11 billion in province-wide investments since 2017. The federal government has historically provided capital funding and continues to do so through the Canada Public Transit Fund, and the Rural Transit Solution Fund. Local governments and First Nations communities in BC have been successful in applying for federal funding through the Rural Transit Solutions Fund to assist with infrastructure costs for transit delivered by BC Transit and for independent, community-driven solutions. The Ministry will continue working with the federal government to ensure BC can maximize federal funding available and seek other avenues for potential collaboration.