Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Blair Lekstrom has selected three people with expertise in finance, transit and municipal affairs to conduct the BC Transit Independent Review.

Lekstrom called for an independent review after listening to the concerns of some mayors and other locally elected officials about BC Transit's performance and operations. The minister welcomes the opportunity to support the communities' efforts to improve transit services.

Local governments identified representatives of the Regional District of Nanaimo and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities to work with the ministry to develop the terms of reference and identify potential panel members.

The three panel members are Chris Trumpy, Catherine Holt and John King. Trumpy will chair the panel.

Over the next several months, the panel members will be seeking input from local governments and BC Transit. The panel will be focusing on the following:

• Operations and performance: examining the efficiency and effectiveness of transit services.
• Governance: examining the existing structure, processes and policies in place for BC Transit, as well as the Capital Regional District's request that the regional district perform the functions of the Victoria Regional Transit Commission.
• Funding relationships between BC Transit and local governments: examining the processes for capital planning, budgeting and operating expenditures and how transit service is allocated, priorities set, charges imposed and expenditures monitored. Increases to provincial and local government funding will not be included in the review.
• Communications and consultation between BC Transit and local governments.

The panel will submit a report to government by the end of August 2012. The Province will ensure the report is available to the public and will consider all recommendations.

BC Transit is the provincial Crown corporation responsible for co-ordinating transit service with local government funding partners in over 50 communities in British Columbia, outside of Metro Vancouver. The independent review will not include Metro Vancouver transit service.

Quotes:

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Blair Lekstrom -

"BC Transit provides good transit service, although there is always room to improve. I have selected a knowledgeable and experienced panel that will examine the issues and provide recommendations. I am looking forward to receiving their report by the end of August. I am optimistic the independent BC Transit Review will help make transit even better."

Regional District of Nanaimo chair Joe Stanhope -

"The minister listened to our concerns about BC Transit and has responded by setting up this panel. I'm hopeful the independent review will give local government and BC Transit new ideas and tools that will improve the way we can work together, particularly in the areas of rising costs, funding, governance and communications."

Union of British Columbia Municipalities president Heath Slee -

"Local governments have an integral role in planning and funding transit services in B.C. communities. The Union of B.C. Municipalities supports the terms of reference for this review and looks forward to the panel beginning its work."

Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard -

"This independent review of BC Transit will address many of the issues mayors have been talking about. For me, I'm particularly interested in seeing the review examine the Capital Regional District replacing the Victoria Regional Transit Commission."

Quick Facts:

• BC Transit is the provincial Crown agency charged with co-ordinating the delivery of public transportation throughout British Columbia, outside of Metro Vancouver.
• In most municipalities, the Province contributes 47 per cent of funding for conventional transit service and local governments contribute 53 per cent. Local funding includes fare and advertising revenue as well as property tax.
• In Greater Victoria, the Province contributes 32 per cent of funding for conventional transit service and the Victoria Regional Transit Commission contributes 68 per cent of funding. Local funding includes advertising and fare revenue, property tax and regional fuel tax.
• BC Transit has:

• 58 local government funding partners, including the Victoria Regional Transit Commission.
• Operations provided by 18 private operating companies, five public operating organizations and 15 non-profit agencies.
• 51.2 million passengers carried in 2010-11.
• Over 1.5 million people served in B.C.
• 81 transit system agreements - conventional, custom and paratransit.
• Fleet of 1,028 conventional and double-deck buses, minibuses and vans.
• $249 million in expenditures in 2010-11.

Learn More:

BC Transit Independent Review: www.th.gov.bc.ca/BC_Transit_Review/index.html

BC Transit Independent Review terms of reference: www.th.gov.bc.ca/BC_Transit_Review/documents/TermsOfReference.pdf

A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

Kate Trotter
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-8241

BACKGROUNDER

BC Transit Independent Review panel members

Chris Trumpy: Retired from provincial government in March 2009. He joined the provincial government in 1979, and after working in a number of areas in the Ministry of Finance, was appointed deputy minister in 1998. Between 2001 and 2007, Trumpy served as deputy minister in the ministries of Provincial Revenue, Sustainable Resource Management and Environment before returning to the Ministry of Finance in 2007. He was also chair of the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation from 1998 to 2007. In March 2008, he became chair of the board of directors for Pacific Carbon Trust and in January 2010, was appointed to the Puget Sound Energy and Puget Energy boards.

Catherine Holt: The principal consultant and owner of Sage Group Management Consultants. Sage Group has been providing strategic management advice to a wide range of clients in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors in B.C., Alberta, Yukon and internationally since 1998. This has included major reviews of governance, funding and program design for many ministries and government entities, including those involved in public transit. Prior to establishing Sage Group, Holt held executive-level positions in the B.C. and Yukon premiers' offices and in a number of B.C. ministries.

John King: Transportation and public transit senior management professional, with over 30 years experience in transportation management, transit operations and maintenance, and transportation and transit planning with local governments and Crown corporations in several western Canadian communities, including Victoria. He is the chair of the Canadian Urban Transit Association board of directors and senior manager of transit projects and studies with the City of Lethbridge, Alberta.

Contact:

Kate Trotter
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-8241