From The Tyee 2007 by Dave Olsen: "Have you ever imagined a world where riders of public transit pay no fares, the atmosphere on board every bus is calm and friendly, and all buses not only have bike racks and are wheelchair accessible, but are completely free of advertisements?
Do you want to experience the real thing? Then come along on my visit to Whidbey Island in Northwest Washington State."
Do you want to experience the real thing? Then come along on my visit to Whidbey Island in Northwest Washington State."
| Island Transit (includes vanpool) | BC Transit in Nanaimo | |
|---|---|---|
| Service Population | 79,252 | 92,300 |
| Ridership | 1,101,711 (902,793 for buses; 198,918 for vanpools) | 2,317,763 |
| Service Kilometres | 4,548,706 (2,804,721 for buses; 1,743,984 for vanpools) | 2,263,992 |
| Service Hours | 71,031 (all buses) | 94,333 |
| Vehicles in Service | 56 buses; 101 vans | 31 buses |
| Operating Budget | $8,392,677 ($0 from fares; all from a 0.6% sales tax collected in Island County) | $6,906,910 ($3,065,488 from fares) |
