Quesnel – To improve transit efficiency and ease downtown traffic, the Quesnel Transit System will be streamlining its service to eliminate route duplication, and launching the popular U-PASS for post-secondary students.
“Our government is committed to investing in transit and that means evolving services to meet the needs of local residents,” said Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “The introduction of the U-PASS is a prime example of how we’re working with our municipal partners to deliver the most valuable service possible.”
Starting September 5, route 2 Red Bluff will be redesigned to run alternating short- and long-loop trips to South Quesnel Shopping Centre. Short-loop trips will travel on Highway 97, while long-loop trips will use Johnston Street. This will make sure bus riders continue to get where they need to, while also allowing for the elimination of the underutilized route 4 South Quesnel Express.
To further streamline routing and improve circulation, route 1 West Quesnel will now focus entirely on service to West Quesnel, and will no longer serve the hospital or the downtown neighbourhoods. These areas will continue to be served by route 3 North Fraser.
As a continuation of a pilot project launched in March, service on two major routes will run later in the evening with three trips added to route 1 West Quesnel and two trips to route 2 Red Bluff.
Other service changes include the addition of an earlier Saturday morning trip to route 1 West Quesnel, and minor schedule modifications to improve on-time performance on all routes.
“The new service improvements, including the addition of the U-PASS, will give residents more accessible travel options,” said Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson. “Our community will be better connected, enabling riders to arrive at their destinations faster.”
To supplement these changes and further encourage ridership, the City of Quesnel and BC Transit are pleased to introduce U-PASS, which will give all University of Northern BC and College of New Caledonia students in Quesnel unlimited access to transit within the community during a four-month semester. Students will also be able to use their U-PASS to access the Quesnel and District Arts and Recreation Centre to use the gym and swimming pool, and to attend drop-in fitness classes.
“At BC Transit, we’re committed to providing efficient and effective transportation to the people and communities that we serve,” said Erinn Pinkerton, BC Transit Vice President of Business Development. “The service improvements in Quesnel, including the introduction of the U-PASS, come in response to the evolving needs of the community, and will benefit all transit users, with additional focus on the city’s growing population of post-secondary students.”
BC Transit’s U-PASS program for post-secondary students was first introduced in Victoria in 1999 for use by University of Victoria and Camosun College students. To date, a total of nine post-secondary institutions within six different transit systems across the province use the program.
For more information, routes and service alerts in Quesnel, please visit bctransit.com/quesnel.
Media contact
Jonathon Dyck
Communications Manager
BC Transit
250-995-5720
Media@bctransit.com
