B.C. Transit and the District of Squamish (DOS) are working together to keep the Squamish-Whistler Transit Service in operation until the end of September.
Members of Squamish council voted unanimously on Tuesday (March 15) to negotiate a contract with B.C. Transit to continue operating the commuter bus through to September 30 at a total cost of $128,000 or less. Before Tuesday's vote, the service was scheduled to end on March 31.
B.C. Transit has agreed to prepare a report by July 15 outlining how the agency feels the service can be improved while decreasing costs and increasing the number of riders. The report will also touch on ways to modify the fare structure "potentially decreasing rates to Squamish residents."
One element the B.C. Transit report will explore is how the Jack Bell Foundation commuter rideshare program can be integrated into the transit service.
Coun. Doug Race said he is looking forward to having a transit service that will take people to Lions Bay, Horseshoe Bay or Vancouver.
"That to me is the ultimate goal," Race said.
"It seems to me that this is really only a stop-gap measure. It is a six-month program which is really an interim measure," Race said of the service extension that runs through September.
"Hopefully by July 15, 2011 we'll be able to take a look at a plan that will make transit actually something that we can be proud of in the DOS," said Coun. Corinne Lonsdale.
Murray Gamble, a Squamish resident and regular bus rider who for the past few months has waged a campaign to keep the bus going and perhaps expand regional transit in the corridor, said he was pleased to see Squamish and B.C. Transit keep it going.
"The news is encouraging and, for the short-term, very good," Gamble, who attended Tuesday's DOS council meeting, wrote in an email to The Chief. "I don't know what changes may be proposed, but transit is still alive and it looks like it will have a future.
"I continue to believe that we need to look at a regional approach for transit between Britannia Beach and Mount Currie. We also need to find ways to provide at least semi-weekly service for people in the northern parts of the SLRD. We need to look at service to Metro Vancouver or at least to Horseshoe Bay where nearly 70 buses go to Park Royal and Vancouver every day.
"Squamish has kept the ball in play. They sound committed to improving transit within Squamish and along the corridor. Commuters will continue to be the largest group of people on the bus from Squamish to Whistler, but there are already people using transit from Whistler and Pemberton to get to Squamish. We need to open it up and promote the service."
The report from B.C. Transit is also to include ideas for improving cost recovery, reducing the cost per hour, reducing the cost per kilometre and improving ridership for the local Squamish transit service.
For the past five years, the Squamish-Whistler bus service has been operated by B.C. Transit, the DOS and the RMOW. Whistler and Squamish have each been paying approximately 25 per cent of the costs associated with the service.
The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) has been contributing money toward the commuter operation between Squamish and Whistler but that contribution will end as of March 31. Last fall, Whistler council voted to stop contributing money to the service, with officials saying they couldn't afford to help subsidize both the Squamish commuter and a similar service to Pemberton and Mount Currie.
with files from David Burke, The Chief
