Local politicians have directed regional district staff to start work on expanding bus service to Sproat Lake.
Members of the Alberni Valley and Bamfield Services Committee met yesterday to hear the merits of transit services to the lake from either the Walmart bus stop or the Redford Street exchange.
According to a joint ACRD and BC Transit report, the service would cost $119,000 a year, or $40 per trip.
Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions said it’s a first step towards a greater Alberni Valley Transit Service.
The proposal will now go to the full ACRD Board of Directors for discussion next week.
The cost of this service seems very high. So I divided $40 into $119,000 to find out the number of trips in a year. That would be 2,975 or just over 8 trips a day every single day. that seems excessive. I see it being used well in the summer months and very poorly in the winter, unless the service were extended to Lakeshore Road and Faber for college students and single vehicle families. I expect there is a school bus service in the winter though. So perhaps an arrangement could be made to combine that service with the public transportation system.