TRANSIT – Public to be asked for input on new bus service to TteS, Sun Rivers

By MEL ROTHENBURGER
Director, Electoral Area P, TNRD

Public input is the next step on the road to new transit service to Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and Sun Rivers.

Sarah Candido, the community services manager for the Band, described the new service during a Community to Community meeting between the Band council and Kamloops City council today, Nov. 20, 2017.

Candido said open houses are planned, one for Monday, Dec. 4 (5-7 p.m.) at Hoodoos at Sun Rivers, and two more on Tuesday, Dec. 5  (12-1 p.m. and 4-6 p.m.) at Moccasin Square Gardens.

The new transit route will connect Sun Rivers, Mount Paul industrial park and the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc residential area north of the industrial park to the Kamloops transit system starting in September, 2018.

The proposed route will begin at the Lansdowne transit exchange.

Candido said several options are still being looked at for the final route. “We’re pretty interested in hearing feedback from people,” she said.

Buses will run every half hour. In response to a question from Coun. Tina Lange, she confirmed that North Shore residents would have to connect through the Lansdowne exchange. She said it’s a matter of cost.

The proposed route doesn’t extend down East Shuswap Road but it’s under consideration for the future, she said. Traffic volume will be a major consideration in finalizing the route or in future expansions.

Cost of the new service will be shared by the TteS and B.C. Transit.

About 30 people were at today’s meeting. I attended on behalf of Electoral Area P.