Taking transit in Whistler

The Whistler Transit System is provided through a partnership with BC Transit. The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) works with BC Transit to build transit ridership, improve services and provide equitable and efficient transit. Whistler Transit Ltd. is the management company that operates the transit system in Whistler.

Funding for the Whistler Transit System is shared between the RMOW and BC Transit. All revenue collected comes directly to the RMOW to cover 53 percent of costs to operate transit in Whistler.

Early Winter Extra Buses start November 16, 2019

Whistler’s Early-winter extra buses are on the road starting Saturday, November 16 through Friday, December 6, 2019. This includes the seasonal return of the route 4-Marketplace Shuttle. The extra service times are printed in the current Rider’s Guide in the grey boxes.

Full Winter Service begins Saturday, December 7, 2019. Click here to get an electronic copy of the upcoming full winter rider’s guide.

More Trip Times on 10 Valley Express route

This winter, Whistler is adding 50% more buses on the 10 Valley Express. This route was added last winter to better connect neighbourhoods north and south of the Village during peak periods by providing a one-seat trip—no need to transfer buses in the Village.

In order provide the quickest travel time possible, the 10-Valley Express bus uses existing transit stops along Highway 99 and to avoid congested areas that lengthen trip times, it does not detour into Meadow Park Sports Centre, Whistler Village or Whistler Creekside.
Other stops include the reinstated “Olympic” stops on Highway 99 at Whistler Village and Whistler Creekside as well as short detours into Rainbow Plaza, Nesters Mall, and Function Junction.
Travel time on the 10 Valley Express from Emerald to Function/ Function to Emerald will be approximately 30 minutes depending on traffic volumes. This is reduced from the previous travel time of over an hour as riders needed to transfer buses to continue north/south.
Full schedule for the 10 Valley Express is available at www.bctransit.com/whistler.
Let us know how the new service is working for you at www.bctransit.com/whistler.

Follow your bus in real-time using the NextRide website and map, all from your smartphone or desktop

Transit users can now plan their trips more efficiently and see where their bus is along its route, all from their smartphone or computer. NextRide uses Automatic Vehicle Location to provide customers with real-time locations of their buses and its predicted arrival time at a stop. NextRide also includes on-board enhancements, so customers can see and hear upcoming stop information upon approach. BC Transit will publish real-time GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) feeds on its Open Data page which will allow third-party developers and applications to use the data. Check out NextRide now at bctransit.com/whistler. Click the image below to see the NextRide tip sheet full size.

Free Village Shuttle Service

Several free shuttle services are offered all year, courtesy of the Province of British Columbia's Resort Municipality Initiative.

Route 4 - Marketplace Shuttle runs from Gondola Transit Exchange to Marketplace in the winter only.
Route 5 - Upper Village/Benchlands Shuttle runs from Gondola Transit Exchange to Blackcomb Mountain Base Lodge and the Benchlands year-round.
Route 8 - Lost Lake Shuttle runs from the Gondola Transit Exchange to Lost Lake Park every day from Saturday, June 20 to September 7, 2020.

Everyday is Family Day on Whistler Transit

Adult customer with a valid Whistler Transit System Pass, ticket or cash fare can bring up to three children (12 years and under) on board for free. For more information click here

Whistler Experience Spirit Transit Pass

The Resort Municipality of Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb and Chamber of Commerce have partnered to offer Whistler Experience® participants 6-month and 12-month Spirit Transit Passes as part of the 2017 Transportation Action Plan. With your valid Whistler Experience number, a 6-month Spirit Transit Pass is $240 and a 12-month Spirit Transit Pass is $450. That’s one month free with a 6-month pass or 20 per cent savings over buying monthly passes and three months free with a 12-month pass or a 25 per cent savings over buying a monthly pass!

To purchase a 6-month or 12-month Spirit Transit Pass, come to the Customer Service desk at Municipal Hall between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays. You must present your Whistler Experience® number to claim your discount when purchasing your Spirit Transit Pass. Please read the Terms and Conditions.

For employers wishing to purchase passes directly for their staff, please contact:

Emma DalSanto, Transportation Demand Management Coordinator
edalsanto@whistler.ca">edalsanto@whistler.ca
604-932-5535

Transporting recycling and compost to Nesters or Function Depots

Beginning November 18, 2017, the Whistler Transit System is starting a pilot project where passengers can carry residential compost, recyclable materials or personal waste on the bus provided:

The waste must be in one non-transparent container that fits on your lap
The container must be leak proof, odour proof and puncture proof, and must be sealed for safety reasons
The container must be held on your lap, in a backpack, or on the floor where it will not obstruct the aisles or other customers
You maintain hold on the container throughout the ride, for safety reasons
You must not put the container on a passenger seat

All safety rules must be followed for the driver to allow transport of household waste on the bus.

Find out everything you need to know about riding the bus.

Free summer weekends in Whistler returns June 20, 2020

The summer transit service free weekend program has now ended for the 2019 summer season. It will return on Saturday, June 20, 2020 through Monday, September 7, 2020.

The complimentary summer service is funded by parking fees from Day Lot 1-5 courtesy of the Resort Municipality of Whistler and Whistler Blackcomb as part of the Whistler Whistler Transportation Action Plan 2018-2028.

Free Lost Lake Shuttle

The free Route 8 Lost Lake Shuttle will return from June 20, 2020. The shuttle will operate as a free service every day until Labour Day, September 7, 2020.

Check BC Transit Whistler(link is external) for full schedule information.

Transit service expansion

Since Spring 2017 the Whistler Transit System has seen a 16 per cent increase in service hours due to the RMOW and BC Transit methodically increasing service frequency. The RMOW approved expansion of 1,750 annual hours in 2017, an additional 6,500 hours in 2018/2019 and another 2,500 annual hours in 2019/2020. The expansion have been used to improve frequency on exiting routes and since December 2019, the majority of the expansion hours have been used to introduced a new route, the 10-Valley Express. The current Whistler Transit System now has 72,300 annual service hours.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the RMOW and BC Transit has been signed to add 2,500 hours every year for three more years (from 2020/2021 to 2022/2023). That equates to a total of 17,000 more service hours between 2017 and 2023, making it easier for everyone to catch the bus and get to where they want to go, when they want to go there.

Regional transit initiatives

A regional transit service is being pursued for the region stretching from Mount Currie to Metro Vancouver by local and First Nations governments in the area. Regional transit will help connect the communities and improve mobility and affordability, as well as reduce environmental impacts and traffic. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) went to RMOW Council on June 19 for endorsement and is going before other partner councils this summer. From there the next step will be to meet with the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure to continue to develop the model and get funding support.

Learn more about initiatives to enhance transportation in the Sea to Sky Corridor.