Kelowna working on plan for public transit corridor from downtown to Mission
The City of Kelowna is asking residents about a proposal for an express route to improve public transit.
The plan includes a transit corridor for express buses, bus lanes and eventually light rail from Mission, through downtown, to Knox Mountain.
The city is working on the Richter Corridor Study to get people’s thoughts on the best way to implement these transit improvements over time.
The transit corridor would begin with an express bus from Mission Rec Transit Exchange along Lakeshore Road, Richter Street, St. Paul Street, ending at Bay Avenue.
The express buses would roll out over the next five years, with more buses and bus lanes coming in five to 15 years.
The goal is to work towards light rail transit around 2040.
This plan aligns with one of the four key demands in a widely supported open letter from April 2024 written by the transit advocacy group the Okanagan Transit Alliance.
READ MORE: Dozens of businesses, hundreds of Okanagan residents demand transit improvement in open letter
“Prioritizing the establishment of frequent transit routes in high-density areas and committing to the timely expansion of transit infrastructure,” the alliance said in a press release.
Numerous other routes through downtown were considered for a transit corridor but the city decided Richter Street made the most sense.
The city said it has chosen Richter Street since it's, “closer to more people and jobs, has the highest forecasted use, and would have less impact on car traffic.”
There is an online survey to give feedback on whether bus lanes should be in the centre of the street or in the outer lanes.
The survey also asks residents if they understand why the city is proposing bus lanes and how the city plans on making space for them.
The final report for the transit corridor will be prepared by spring 2025 after the public engagement period.
Click here for the city’s survey.
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