In a Victoria Regional Transit Commission (VRTC) meeting this week, a long-awaited direct route from downtown Victoria to the Victoria International Airport (YYJ) is being considered for implementation.
The currently available Swartz Bay route on bus line 72 could be adjusted to include a stop at YYJ, according to VRTC.
As of this publication, those hoping to get to YYJ from Victoria via bus have to take the 70 or 72 into Sidney and then catch the 87 or 88 to the airport, which can take upward of an hour.
Victoria city councillor and VRTC commissioner Jeremy Caradonna says this has been needed for some time.
“A change of this type has been discussed for a very long time in this region, and we hear a lot of feedback about poor service to YYJ,” said Caradonna in a media release.
VRTC’s meeting on Tuesday, November 18th will have the organization consider first launching a public feedback campaign on including a YYJ stop on the 72 route, or other options.
According to the motion that will come before VRTC, if the 72 route is adjusted to include YYJ, there will be some impacts that will affect transit riders in the region.
This service option would reportedly restructure the existing Saanich Peninsula network and would see route 88 discontinued between Sidney and YYJ.
To help aid those impacted, route 81 would then be realigned to cover areas currently served by route 88 along Canora Road, Ocean Avenue, Stirling Way and the West Sidney Industrial Park.
If approved and implemented, the revised route 72 would reportedly operate every 30 minutes from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays, 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sundays. Outside those times, service would be hourly.
In addition to impacts, this VRTC plan for route 72 will also have benefits.
According to the motion, the service alteration would require no new infrastructure and could be implemented easily, could be made cost neutral for BC Transit and would provide a better direct service to YYJ, saving travellers money on cab fares or long-term parking costs.
This improved service to YYJ could be implemented as early as September 2026, should it be supported by the public and approved by VRTC.
