City looks at UBC transit route

Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: May 11, 2010 7:00 PM

The City of Vernon is being asked to take over administration of a popular transit route. The North Okanagan Regional District is responsible for the bus to the University of B.C. in Kelowna. But B.C. Transit wants the city to take on the function as a way of expediting decision-making. “Requests for funding are sent to the municipalities and electoral areas,” said Mayor Wayne Lippert, adding that there is a wish to add a second bus. “The timing just wouldn’t happen for this fall.” By having just the city involved, it’s been suggested any decisions on routes and funding could be made quicker. It is anticipated that other North Okanagan communities would still fund the service, but Coun. Bob Spiers is expressing concerns about that. “If we take over another regional function, we end up with extra costs,” he said.

The present route to UBC costs $112,000 locally, with that split between the North Okanagan and Central Okanagan regional districts. The City of Vernon pays about 10 per cent of the bill. A second bus, if it went ahead, would cost an extra $112,000. The existing service to UBC has reached capacity with the morning run. “This is the number one priority because it serves a market that’s already there,” said Steve Harvard, with B.C. Transit. “We’re confident we can fill another bus in the morning. We can get them there for 8:30 a.m. classes now, but not 8 a.m.”Access to evening classes has also been a challenge for some North Okanagan students at UBC. Besides UBC students, the service is used by Vernon residents who work in Kelowna, or Kelowna residents who have jobs in Vernon. “The opportunities are huge for two-way traffic,” said Harvard.