A commentary by the mayor of Sidney.

B.C. Transit has an online ­survey open now. It is seeking ­public feedback on a proposal to improve transit connections to Victoria International ­Airport.

The proposal would reroute the existing Route 72 (Swartz Bay/Sidney/Downtown) bus to serve the airport on all trips.

This would add an average of 10 minutes to the travel time between Swartz Bay or Sidney and Victoria, and vice versa.

Improving YYJ ­connectivity is an important goal, but it should only be pursued as part of an overall increase in service, not by reducing service on other routes through Sidney.

Route 72 had 1.17 million rides in 2023, and the forecast with the proposed changes is for nearly 44,000 additional rides within two or three........

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