A city councillor expressed "frustration" on behalf of city council this week since Chilliwack would be "coming up short" on the transit front.
"It's yet another year where we won't see conventional transit improved in the City of Chilliwack," said Coun. Jason Lum, reporting that improvements which were "identified as critical" in the city's latest action plan, remain unfunded.
He was offering the remarks also on behalf of Coun. Jeff Shields, transportation advisory committee chair.
Despite those concerns Chilliwack council approved the 2024-25 annual operating agreement between City of Chilliwack and BC Transit for conventional and custom transit at the June 18 council meeting.
Coun. Jason Lum said he opted to vote in favour of the annual agreement, rather than casting "a protest vote" against, since it contains "desperately needed" increases to Chilliwack HandyDART services.
But council sorely needs to get "back to the table" with the province to advocate for those additional transit service hours, he said.
The extra hours would have paid for additional buses during peak times and relieved congestion on the busiest routes like the Promontory bus which Lum pointed out was "bursting at the seams."
Additional service hours went through for cities in the Central Fraser Valley and Eastern Fraser Valley, as well as FVRD systems by contrast, Lum said.
Given that Chilliwack has "led the way in post-COVID recovery:" to ridership Lum said "it doesn't make sense that Chilliwack won't be getting an increase in transit hour funding."
He had questions given that Chilliwack had a solid Transit Future Action Plan approved in 2021, and a great working relationship with BC Transit.
"I worry about the school district and the school kids who take transit," Lum noted.
Mayor Ken Popove asked the city councillor what happened when he and Coun. Shields met with both local MLAs recently to press the point on transit funding for Chilliwack.
"They were both obviously sympathetic to our concerns," Lum said.
Provincial officials will be ask to look for any "unallocated" transit hours, he added.
