The Sunshine Coast Regional District is endorsing BC Transit’s plan to make changes to bus routes in Sechelt.
Rebecca Newlove of BC Transit told the July 14 meeting of the community services committee that after a review of so-called community routes in the area they’re recommending changes to Route 2 and Route 3.
Newlove said Route 2, which serves West Sechelt, is the highest-performing community route. “We are recommending a route restructure to better serve West Sechelt and a couple of key destination points up there,” she said.
The planned extension would see buses continue up Nickerson to Tower Road, to serve streets closer to Holy Family Catholic Church and a day care in the neighbourhood.
Route 3 to the Sechelt arena, however, is not performing well. A two-week ride count found extremely low ridership on the section from Harbour Way to Highmoor Road.
“We looked at the section between Harbour and Highmoor – that route was extended in 2009 to Piper Place. There’s a cul-de-sac up there that we use as our turn-around. The bus has to reverse and use its reverse signals, and that has caused complaints from residents,” Newlove told the committee. She also said Route 3 is prone to delays that have a ripple effect throughout the system.
BC Transit’s solution is to cancel service on the part of the route beyond Harbour Way, which would shorten the time needed to cover the route by eight minutes.
Another idea BC Transit studied was reversing the direction buses travel on Route 4 through Halfmoon Bay. Newlove said after surveying riders over a three-week period in May they found only 17 per cent support for making the change, and BC Transit feels it should be left as is.
BC Transit officials also told the committee that the Sunshine Coast system continues to perform well when compared to other rural transit services.
Myrna Moore, senior regional manager for BC Transit, said with about 30 per cent of bus riders connecting with BC Ferries, ferry delays can hurt ridership numbers. Newlove added that BC Transit is looking at better ways to coordinate with BC Ferries, and when the system goes to half-hourly service on the express route between Sechelt and Langdale next year, it will be less dependent on the ferry schedule.
When asked by Area A’s Frank Mauro about the private company Sunshine Coast Connector, Newlove said BC Transit considers it a complementary service because what BC Transit has in mind is more of a local service.
Sunshine Coast Connector launched in May, and one of its routes connects the Earls Cove and Langdale ferry terminals.
“We were excited to see that private contractor come in,” Newlove responded. “As the work for [establishing a route to] Pender Harbour unfolds over the next few years, that would be one of our primary stakeholders to engage.”
Directors were also curious about whether the recent change in the fare structure was having any impact on ridership. SCRD transit manager Gordon Dykstra said it’s too early to tell.
The changes to Route 2 and Route 3 will start in October, at the same time as the overall schedule changes to match the change in the BC Ferries schedule.
