The route has been inactive since the pandemic, will be reinstated in January
Photo by Ethan Barkley.
At a meeting on Sept. 10, the Victoria Regional Transit Commission (VRTC) approved a proposal to reinstate Route 76 Swartz Bay/UVic. Route 76 is expected to return in January 2025, so long as sufficient resources are available.
The direct route used to provide a connection between UVic and the Swartz Bay ferry terminal, but was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic due to low ridership.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, BC Transit saw a significant decline in patronage on a number of “tourism-based routes,” said Levi Megenbir, a Senior Transit Planner with BC Transit.
“The 76 was definitely one of those, especially when the lockdown happened and people were essentially required not to be travelling,” Megenbir told the Martlet. “We did our best to maintain service levels … but this was just one of those routes [that] was carrying almost nobody.”
Since the route’s cancellation during the pandemic, tourism and regional travel have both increased, and current bus routes to Swartz Bay have seen crowding and sometimes pass-ups. A UVic spokesperson told the Martlet that around 4 100 students come to UVic from the lower mainland.
Historically, the 76 ran on Fridays and Sundays during peak times in order to meet the 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. sailings from Swartz Bay. Megenbir said that, due to BC Transit resource constraints, the 76 would have to operate outside of peak times on Fridays, while Sunday service would remain the same.
The University of Victoria Students’ Society (UVSS) ran a petition in April and early May calling for Route 76 to be reintroduced, which garnered around 620 signatures.
Isabelle Easton, UVSS Director of Campaigns and Community Relations, told the Martlet she was contacted in August by BC Transit staff about these constraints, namely availability of buses and drivers.
The UVSS then ran an Instagram poll, asking students what times would be most convenient for the 76 to run, which they took into account when making a recommendation to BC Transit.
“We [ended up] recommending that we go with the service for students trying to catch the 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. sailings on Fridays,” Easton said.
Hannah Penner, a fourth year public health student at UVic, told the Martlet that the lack of an easily accessible bus route has made travelling back home to visit family “kind of a pain.”
“I live quite close to campus,” said Penner, “which means I’m having to take the transfer, [either] the 26 or 39 … and then hop on the 70 or the 72.”
Penner estimates her trips from near UVic to Swartz Bay take between an hour and a half and two hours — roughly the same duration as the ferry ride itself. Driving from campus to the terminal directly takes approximately 35 minutes without traffic, according to Google Maps.
Wesley Rollins, a fourth year writing student at UVic, said he’s noticed that buses to the Swartz Bay terminal have become increasingly busy — especially around holidays.
Penner also emphasized the issue of overcrowding on existing routes, which means less available seats. This is an accessibility issue for people who may require a seat when taking transit, said Penner.
Rollins told the Martlet that there are few options, aside from buses like the 70, 71, and 72, for students who don’t drive.
“I know [there are] sometimes the shuttles, but those are once a semester I think, and if you’re not planning to go home on that exact day you’re kind of screwed,” he said.
Both Penner and Rollins are looking forward to the return of the 76 from UVic to Swartz Bay.
“Even if I wasn’t on campus I would consider busing up and going from there,” said Rollins, “because I feel like that bus would be less busy. It’s not that long of a bus [and] I’d rather go another ten minutes out of my way than stand on a crowded bus with a bajillion people.”
