Dozens of businesses, hundreds of Okanagan residents demand transit improvement in open letter
An Okanagan transit lobby group has hundreds of residents behind an open letter to politicians to demand public transit improvements.
The Okanagan Transit Alliance has rallied 29 other organizations and 400 residents to issue an open letter to city councillors and ministers listing concrete ways to improve BC Transit service in the region, according to a press release.
The four key demands in the letter are; bringing BC Transit under public Canadian management, expanding the HandyDART bus service for those with mobility issues, increasing frequency on major routes, and making transit free for those 18 and under.
"At a time when British Columbians are grappling with multiple crises, from affordability to climate change, it is imperative that we prioritize proven solutions," committee member with the Okanagan Transit Alliance Kirstin Pulles said in the release. "Investing in public transportation is key to creating an accessible, vibrant, and sustainable community, so let’s design a system that really meets people’s needs."
The alliance provided data from BC Transit’s latest annual survey which said, “73 per cent of Kelowna residents, 82 per cent of Penticton residents and 79 per cent of Vernon residents report not using transit at all in the last year.”
Although most people in the Okanagan don’t use public transit, there are many residents who would like to use the service if it fits their needs. The City of Kelowna conducted a survey in 2022 where 57 per cent of Kelowna residents said they would like to be transit users.
"We are encouraged by the overwhelming support from our community who recognize the urgent need for action," Okanagan Transit Alliance member Benjamin Harris said in the release. "We are committed to working collaboratively with community members, elected leaders across the Okanagan, and the provincial government to build a more sustainable, equitable, and accessible public transit system for this growing region."
The government has agreed to spend $1.2 billion on transit in areas serviced by BC Transit, but the alliance said there is a better plan for those funds than what the government has proposed.
“While we welcome and celebrate the promised $1.2 billion in transit investments over the next decade in communities served by BC Transit, those investments focus on upgrading existing services - new fare technologies, electric buses, and park and rides. To provide a service that can be a legitimate alternative to personal vehicles, we need to expand service and provide new incentives to switch,” the alliance said in its letter.
At the moment BC Transit is operated by an overseas private corporation, TransDev, whose contract was renewed for another two years on April 1, 2024.
READ MORE: BC Transit and TransDev renew controversial contract in Okanagan
Currently the HandyDART service for those with mobility challenges does not operate on Sundays or public holidays, but users are offered a 50 per cent discount on taxis.
The alliance’s open letter argues that a bus that comes once per hour or a few times a day is unreliable and insufficient for people’s daily needs. The proposed solution is to make a smaller network of more frequent bus routes, and implement a reliable transit on demand service for rural areas.
As for the request to make transit free for those 18 and under, the alliance’s letter said the idea has support around the province and a profound positive impact on youth, especially those with lower income.
Click here to learn more about the Okanagan Transit Alliance.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jesse Tomas or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.
