BC Transit obtained RDN board approval for a temporary shuttle transit service to support FIFA 2026 travel, with an operating budget not exceeding $3,000. The motion carried 16-4, with four directors opposed.
The $3,000 cap signals a minimal, short-term operation — likely a limited number of trips or a single-event shuttle rather than a sustained transit expansion. It is not a capital project and does not appear to involve infrastructure or permanent route changes.
The vote occurred alongside broader RDN transit planning efforts. A Transit Redevelopment Strategy RFP was issued in 2020 (rdn.bc.ca) and CHEK News reported in April 2025 that the board endorsed expansion of BC Transit services between Victoria and Nanaimo (cheknews.ca). The FIFA shuttle, however, is a standalone, event-driven measure with no direct link to those longer-term redevelopment plans.
BC Transit has applied to rezone an undisclosed property in the Regional District of Nanaimo for a proposed transit facility. The Regional District Board considered the rezoning application on May 12, 2026, and voted to approve it with a 16-4 vote in favour.