BC Transit and the City of Penticton are gathering feedback on how to restructure the way transit operates in Penticton.
The Penticton Transit Network Restructure Plan will review the existing transit system in the city, and create a guide for future decision making.
BC Transit staff told city council at a presentation on Jan. 17 that one of the goals of the survey and public input is to get feedback not only from existing riders, but also from people who don’t use transit and to find out why that may be.
The restructure plan will be used alongside the 2015 Transit Future Plan, 2021 Penticton Transportation Master Plan and the forthcoming South Okanagan-Similkameen Transit Future Action Plan.
“We did hear through the election some criticism of the bus service, that routes were confusing, that routes weren’t flowing as well as they could do,” Mayor Julius Bloomfield said at Jan. 17’s council meeting.
If the feedback did call for a rerouting in the city, BC Transit staff said those changes could come within the next year if they were cost-neutral.
The South Okanagan-Similkameen plan calls for 14,000 additional service hours per year and at least four additional vehicles for the entire region by 2030. That plan will also look at potential new routes and expansions that could take place from 2024 to 2027.
READ MORE: Help shape the future of transit in the South Okanagan
BC Transit is hosting online engagement on the restructure plan until Feb. 12 where residents can ask questions, drop pins on a map of the city and fill out a survey. These options for feedback can be found at https://engage.bctransit.com/penticton2023.
There are also other options available to give feedback, including at several open houses, including Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Seniors Drop-in Centre and from 3 p.m. to 6 at Cherry Lane mall, and on Feb. 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Okanagan College cafeteria and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Community Centre lobby.
To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
<>Don’t miss a single story and get them delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up today for the Penticton Western News Newsletter.
<>@PentictonNews
newstips@pentictonwesternnews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.