Changes to bus service in Sechelt have been proposed, and should the District offer their approval, the new arena route could be implemented this October.
Sunshine Coast Regional District’s (SCRD) manager of transportation Brian Sagman reported to the July 5 infrastructure committee that moving the Sechelt bus closer to areas of higher demand could increase the system’s efficiency.
“We approached BC Transit with a proposal to extend the route to the new turnaround at the west end of Gale Avenue North and also eliminate the service on Marine Way and on Anchor/Wharf to provide two-way service on Reef Road,” his report to the committee read.
Presently, the Sechelt bus performs something of a double-figure-eight, looping its way from Trail Bay Mall to areas in lower West Porpoise Bay.
The proposed arena route extension would see the bus travel to a new turnaround location, further into the northern portion of West Porpoise Bay. The change could come at the expense of customers that board the bus at Marine Way or Anchor and Wharf.
“The data shows minimal daily ridership on these route sections at present,” Sagman wrote in his report. “It is also evident that very few people board the bus on the Anchor/Wharf section of the route, likely because of the inconvenience of the return trip.
West Howe Sound director Lee Turnbull was the lone dissenter against a motion to refer the report to the District of Sechelt for review and comment.
“I’m not interested in paying for a community bus in another community,” she said.
— Ben Ingram
