Bus route to benefit students
A new bus route should be launched this fall to service fastgrowing student neighbourhoods south of UBC Okanagan, transit officials suggest.
The proposed local route would run south from the campus along Academy Way and terminate at Reid’s Corner, a distance of about three kilometres.
Funds for the new route would come, in part, by service reductions on routes that currently serve Quail Ridge and Gallagher’s Canyon in South East Kelowna.
Currently, many students pile onto No. 4 south-bound buses at the campus only to reach new housing developments that are relatively close along Academy Way, transit officials say.
When they get off the bus, it continues with few passengers into central Kelowna, according to a report going today to city council.
Longer term transit proposals include reworking the network in Rutland, expanding service to the airport, and introducing direct service to the Landmark business and technology centre.
There’s also a plan, within three to five years, to build new transit exchange on Cooper Road to replace the existing one in the area at Orchard Park mall.
That’s currently projected to cost about $6 million.
Another idea is to develop transit priority features on Enterprise Way and Springfield Road.
This could include such things as signal lights that give priority to buses and more comfortable bus stops.
The improvements, not suggested for at least five years, would cost about $6.2 million.