LETTER – Don’t drop BC Transit hours expansion from City’s 2026 budget

Joint Letter to members of Kamloops City Council from Transition Kamloops, Kamloops Naturalist Club, Kamloops and District Society for People In Motion, Kamloops Society for Community Inclusion, Kamloops Cycling Coalition, Speak Up Self-Advocacy Awareness Society, and Thompson Rivers University Students’ Union (TRUSU)

Friday, January 16, 2026

Dear Members of Kamloops City Council,

In response to comments made at the November 18, 2025 meeting of the Committee of the Whole, we are writing to request that funding for the previously approved BC Transit hours expansion be incorporated into the City’s 2026 draft budget.

As you know, in September 2025, Council approved a 31,000 hour transit expansion plan for 2027. The request has been included in BC Transit’s Service Plan funding request to the Province.

Given the competition among municipalities for limited transit expansion hours, the inclusion of funding in Kamloops’ draft budget sends a strong signal that our City is prepared and committed. Because the City’s draft budget will be released ahead of the provincial budget (not expected until late February), any hesitation or perceived lack of commitment risks weakening Kamloops’ position and could result in fewer hours being allocated. Once transit expansion hours are reallocated to other communities, it can take years to recover lost service, regardless of future budget decisions.

Equally important, excluding funds for transit expansion from the draft budget would place the City in conflict with its own policy framework.

The Official Community Plan embeds accessibility and inclusion in its complete neighbourhood vision. For many residents, including folks with disabilities, seniors, newcomers, those from low income households, and students at all levels, transit is not a discretionary service but rather essential infrastructure for accessing education, employment, healthcare services, and community life.

The Official Community Plan relies on transit, cycling, and walking to facilitate compact growth. Defunding transit would force additional traffic onto cycling routes and arterial roads, increasing safety risks to vulnerable road users while undermining investment in green corridors and active transportation infrastructure.

Including approved transit enhancements in the 2026 draft budget advances the Strategic Goals adopted by this Council. Specifically, transit expansion supports Economic Health by enabling workforce participation and reducing household transportation costs, Safety and Security by reducing traffic volumes and risks for vulnerable road users in alignment with Vision Zero objectives, and Livability and Sustainability by reducing auto dependency, supporting compact growth, and protecting investments in active transportation and green corridors. Budgeting for approved expansion hours also demonstrates Governance and Service Excellence by aligning financial decisions with adopted plans and strengthening the City’s credibility when advocating for cost-shared provincial infrastructure funding.

Transit expansion is also a core climate action, directly reducing greenhouse gas emissions by shifting trips away from private vehicles and supporting the City’s commitments to climate change mitigation and resilience.

Province-wide research from BC Transit’s Customer Satisfaction Program shows that commuting to work is the primary reason people use transit (pg. 6). This reflects the reality in Kamloops, where transit serves a broad cross-section of the community. Halting approved expansion hours based on changes in TRU enrolment would overlook the wider community reliance on transit and fail to reflect actual demand. Residents who rely on transit every day include workers, service staff, families, seniors, and students at all levels.

Transit expansion is foundational to reducing auto dependency and managing growth responsibly across Kamloops. We sincerely hope that the City of Kamloops remains committed to further enhancement of the transit system. Inclusion of the previously approved expansion hours in the City’s draft budget would provide clarity to the community and strengthen the City’s position as it seeks provincial funding support.

Sincerely,

Jesse Ritcey, Program Manager, Kamloops Naturalist Club
Debora DeLyzer, Executive Director, Kamloops and District Society for People In Motion
Melody Frisk, Executive Director, Kamloops Society for Community Inclusion<
Bryce Granger, Secretary, Kamloops Cycling Coalition
Tami Pedersen, Co-chairperson, Speak Up Self-Advocacy Awareness Society
Nathan Lane, Executive Director, Thompson Rivers University Students’ Union (TRUSU)Gisela Ruckert, President, Transition Kamloops