Province funds shuttle bus to Camrose, rural transit

A shuttle bus service to Edmonton from Camrose is one of four new rural transportation projects that will receive provincial funding, Transportation Minister Brian Mason said Thursday.

In a news conference, Mason said the government has earmarked $1.4 million for projects in Camrose, Grande Prairie and Spirit River as part of its rural transportation pilot project.

“It’s just the start,” Mason said. “At this point (the pilot projects) are not meant to be comprehensive programs.”

Camrose received $450,000 for a round-trip bus service to Edmonton, which will run every day. It also received an additional $137,000 to hire a co-ordinator to supervise a ride-sharing program in that city.

The County of Grande Prairie received $640,000 for a rural transit service that will link to the city’s existing bus system. The rural buses will connect to Sexsmith, Clairmont, Wembley, Beaverlodge and Hythe. The program will start this fall.

Another $200,000 was granted to expand an existing van service between Spirit River, Rycroft and Grande Prairie. The service currently runs monthly, but will be bumped to three times per week.

Camrose Mayor Norman Mayer said the funding promise made it a “great day for Camrose.”

“This has always been a concern,” Mayer said. “We tried to address local transportation with a community bus, but we always had the concern of people not being able to get to the city for medical appointments, or other appointments.”

These are the first four approved projects in the province’s rural transportation pilot project.