Image credit: CFJC Today

By Marty Hastings

MILLION-DOLLAR VOTE

Significant transit changes afoot in Kamloops pending council vote

Aug 25, 2024 | 5:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops city council will vote on Tuesday (Aug. 27) during its regular meeting on whether to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with BC Transit to expand transit service over the next three years beginning next September.

The MOU confirms with BC Transit that it can proceed with provincial funding requests for the upcoming fiscal year and confirms expansion priorities for the following two fiscal years align with city expectations.

In Year 1, the proposed commitment is for 13,800 additional hours of conventional transit service and 1,300 additional hours of custom transit service.

If provincial funding is approved, the estimated annual net municipal share of the additional conventional service in Year 1 starting in January 2026 is $1,079,144.

The estimated annual net municipal share for custom transit service hours starting in September 2025 is estimated at $58,036.

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“With expansion approved in 2024 and strong ridership recovery exceeding pre-pandemic levels, significant service expansion is planned to continue in 2025 to balance recent years where the system did not expand, largely due to pandemic-related funding challenges and uncertainties,” according to a city report.

Year 1 initiatives include restoring service levels on the frequent transit network — Route 1 (Tranquille), Route 3 (Westsyde) and Route 7 (Aberdeen) — and likely frequency and span improvements to Route 5 (Pineview), Route 16 (Juniper Ridge) and Route 17 (Dallas), along with adding 1,300 hours of handyDART service.

Signing the MOU confirms expansion priorities for the Year 2 and Year 3 fiscal years align with the city’s expectations, but does not confirm the intent to commit to the items until the 2025 memorandum of understanding is signed.

Year 2 and Year 3 initiatives include the introduction of the first phase of Route 98, from Valleyview to Thompson Rivers University; introduction of the first phase of Route 99 (Southwest Loop); adding trips to Route 10 (North Shore TRU Express); adding weekend service (2,000 hours); reallocating 3,000 hours from Route 2 (Parkcrest) by eliminating routing downtown from Mackenzie Road and Tranquille Road (3,000 hours); adding local service on the North Shore to the airport; introduction of Route 8 (Battle); on-time performance improvement; and increased handyDART service.

The Year 2 and Year 3 potential future expansion opportunities would come at a net municipal estimated cost of $2,447,750.

Route 98 is contingent on the construction of a new transit exchange in Valleyview.

Route 99 (Southwest Loop) would provide service between the communities of Lower and Upper Sahali, Aberdeen, Mount Dufferin, Southgate and TRU.

There is also potential to introduce 5,000 additional service hours on the Ord Road and Kamloops Airport service if Kamloops is selected as one of the communities in BC Transit’s OnDemand pilot program, starting in January 2027.

The annual municipal share for the on-demand trial is $417,185 if Kamloops is selected as a pilot community.

As the trial would not start until January 2027, it would be included in the 2025 memorandum of understanding for budget confirmation.