Fort St. John approves free transit for 2026 provincial election day
The city will waive fares on its regular bus service to reduce transportation barriers for voters.
FORT ST. JOHN — Fort St. John city council has approved a plan to provide free public transit on voting day for the 2026 Provincial General Election.
Council endorsed the recommendation from city staff during its regular meeting on Sept. 28.
The initiative, proposed after BC Transit contacted the city following the election announcement, aims to support voter participation by reducing transportation barriers and improving access to voting opportunities.
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“The proposed measure is intended solely to improve access to voting opportunities and does not support or endorse any political party, candidate, or position, rather, it is intended to assist residents in exercising their democratic right to vote,” staff said.
Passengers will be able to ride the city's regular transit service without paying a fare on Oct. 24, 2026, which is General Voting Day.
The report said providing fare-free transit on voting day is a “simple and effective way” to support civic participation and increase accessibility for residents.
No route modifications or service level changes are required, and transit service will continue to operate according to the regular schedule.
BC Transit had requested confirmation of the city’s participation by the end of September to allow sufficient time for operational planning, public communications and advertising before the election.
“Due to the timing of the provincial election call and BC Transit’s requested confirmation deadline, administration is bringing this matter forward as a late item for Council’s consideration,” staff said.
Staff said the financial impact is limited to the loss of one day's transit service fare revenue, and there will be no significant operational or budgetary impacts.
The city will also offer free transit on Oct. 17, 2026, for that year's General Local Election.
The council's approval finalizes the city's participation in the provincial election day initiative.
With files from Energeticcity