Efforts will be made to get a bus stop back onsite at the Village Green mall at the north end of Vernon. City council on Monday approved a major expansion of the BC Transit service, including the addition of 7,000 annual service hours and a new north-south route that would run through town every 15 minutes during peak periods. There will also be more HandyDart service. The changes are expected to take effect in April 2018 at a cost of $314,277 for the first nine months. The money will be taken from reserves. Council has also asked city and transit staff to approach the owner of the mall, Bentall Kennedy, to see if the issue of an onsite bus stop can be resolved. “It's just not conducive to people using it that have mobility challenges or those with all their kids,” said Coun. Juliette Cunningham, who made the motion. “Last winter, I saw a woman get stuck in her wheelchair in the snow. It's just crazy.” Cunningham is hopeful new negotiations will work, although they failed a year ago, or a bus stop will have to be chosen along 48th Avenue which is the current situation. Council also heard from Okanagan Landing resident James Kanester who requested a return to 35 minute service in his area of Heritage Drive and Allenby Way, near Bella Vista Road. Council liked his argument to reroute the number 8 bus, which travels Bella Vista, to pick up passengers at an Allenby Way stop. They voted in favour of that action. Council has also asked BC Transit to take a look at routes 7 and 8 to see if 35 minute service can be provided to the area. Meanwhile, council's financial watchdog Bob Spiers questioned the big increase in costs to bussing. He said the annual transit bill, including the HandyDart, will increase 30 per cent to $1.365 million. “I know we've found a way of using the reserves, which should be done but I don't see an increase in revenue as we were promised,” Spiers said. He pointed out that taxpayers would be footing the whole bill once reserves run out in a few years time.
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https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/financial/annual_reports/2018-2022_proposed_financial_plan_0.pdf
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| P 111 of 2018 budget |
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| P450 note transit increase of $419,036 Annually |
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| P 109 of 2018 budget ========================================== |
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