BC Transit wants public input into proposed changes to West Kootenay bus structure
By Nelson Daily Staff
By Suzy Hamilton, The Nelson Daily
Good news for bus riders. Fares will go down in April if BC Transit’s draft changes shown at public meetings this week are adopted.
And it’s good news for people who want to make connections from one city to another.
“All the buses meet up,” said the Regional District of Central Kootenay’s Randy Matheson who was at the open house Tuesday at Touchstones to answer questions.
“We haven’t added anything, we’re just using our hours more effectively.”
For instance, a Trail bus now meets up with an afternoon Castlegar bus to come to Nelson.
“We want to encourage people to get on the bus and make it easier,” said Matheson.
The region will be divided into three zones: Kootenay (Nelson to Balfour), Slocan (Nelson to Slocan City) to and Columbia (Nelson to Castlegar Trail).
A bus ticket for any zone is $2; in more than one zone, $3.50, with group tickets and monthly passes available at a discount.
The proposed changes feature a new regional fare structure, regional schedules that are targeted to key destinations, more direct routes within the City of Nelson, easier to understand routing within the Slocan Valley area, reduced duplication of service in the South Castlegar area, and new route numbering to better show where buses are going to and from.
Residents who attended the Tuesday open house saw the proposed changes and were given a chance ask questions and to respond in writing to the changes.
An on-line survey is also available at www.bctransit.com until December 14.
Blewett resident Steve May rides the bus three times a week.
“I’d like to see a 7 a.m. and a 5:30 p.m. bus for people who work in town,” he said. “I think they would double or triple their ridership.”
Presently the earliest Blewett bus leaves at 8:10 a.m. and comes home at 5:08 pm.
A quick glance at some of the schedule changes reveals a new morning bus from Nelson to Selkirk College in Castlegar, a mid afternoon bus to Balfour for North Shore residents and Nelson city bus routes are more streamlined.
In the bigger picture, Nelson councilor and transit committee member Donna Macdonald said the changes are designed to “ see a lot more people on the bus and fewer of them in their cars.”
“The cost and convenience of riding the bus will make it a more desirable alternative,“ Macdonald added.
The open house continues Wednesday at the 10th Street Campus in Nelson before moving to Castlegar’s Selkirk College Campus and Community Complex later in the day.
Thursday, the open house shifts to Trail at the College Campus.
See previous stories:
http://thenelsondaily.com/news/new-bus-routes-nelson-fall-18422#.UL66kZPjl9l
http://thenelsondaily.com/news/nelson-transit-riders-weigh-new-bus-proposals-18755#.UL66dpPjl9l
http://thenelsondaily.com/news/one-more-step-toward-regional-transit-sanity-19389#.UL66N5Pjl9k
http://thenelsondaily.com/news/bc-transit-presents-nelson-bus-improvement-findings-council-20353#.UL66W5Pjl9l
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