Greater Victoria Transit commissioners will look at reducing service expansion as a way of minimizing bus-fare increases this year.

The commission felt proposed increases were simply too high, said Christopher Causton, chairman of the Victoria Regional Transit Commission.

"I'm happy to re-look at what we're putting on the road in 2010-2011," said Causton, who is also mayor of Oak Bay.

Commissioners had been looking at rate increases that could have eliminated discounted cash fares for seniors and youth, jacking the cash fare to a flat $2.50.

But that decision was postponed while commission members instead asked staff for more information on planned service expansion to see what could be cut or delayed to reduce costs.

About 25,000 hours of additional service had been planned in the coming year at a cost of about $2.25 million, of which the province would pick up a third, Causton said.

Most of that would have been for additional community service.

"Of course community buses is where it is more costly because the ridership is not as dense. The ridership is not as high," Causton said.

"But having said that, I'm well aware of the counter argument, which is: 'I live in Metchosin and I pay into transit, where's my service?' "

Since the province funds about 31 cents of every transit dollar, a cut to expansion plans will mean a corresponding loss of provincial funding. In this case, about $700,000 to $800,000 in provincial money is at stake, said Manuel Achadinha, B.C. Transit CEO.

Commissioners wrestled with a variety of funding options, each of which provided a different blend of fare and property-tax increases.

The first option would see the adult cash fare -- including the senior and youth cash fare, which is currently $1.40 -- rise to $2.50 from $2.25. Books of 10 tickets for seniors and youth would increase to $15 from $12.60; adult monthly passes would rise to $90 from $73.25, and monthly passes for seniors and youth would jump to $52 from $42. The $85 property-tax levy on the average home would increase by $5.90.

The second option proposes the same increases except the adult monthly pass would rise to $85 instead of $90, and the property-tax levy would increase by $8.98.

The third option would set the discounted rate for youth and seniors at $1.65 and limit the monthly adult pass to $85. All other increases would be the same. The property-tax levy would increase by $11.52.

Transit heard from some 400 transit users, most of them opposed to rate increases. "The jumps are too big," said Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin, a commission member. Fortin said seniors, youths, and the working poor, who depend most heavily on transit, are particularly hard hit by fare increases.

But commission member Susan Brice, a Saanich councillor, warned against being "too aggressive" in raising the property tax. Commission member and Sooke Mayor Janet Evans agreed municipalities are already struggling to keep property taxes in check.

Causton noted transit has increased service by 16 per cent over the past couple of years but not raised fares.

"In hindsight we should have perhaps raised these rates over a period of three years, slowly," he said.

Fares last jumped to $2.25 from $2 in 2007 and haven't been increased since. However, the property-tax levy for transit rose last year by about $10 per average home.

In 2008, there was also a one-cent-a litre increase to the gas levy for transit, raising it to 3.5 cents a litre.

bcleverley@tc.canwest.com