More Squamish residents are taking the bus than ever before, which is good news for bus riders in the future.
According to statistics released by 小蓝视频 Transit, a total of 148,876 people who rode Squamish's three municipal buses in 2003/04, an 11 per cent increase over the previous year - one of the largest increases in the province. Only the Comox Valley and Prince George saw greater increases.
There were two major factors that were seen to be responsible for the increase, and both of them are related to new and improved bus service in Squamish.
"The single biggest reason is council's approval of a free bus service for students in Valleycliffe," said Squamish Transit manager Scott Pass.
"Because they don't have a school bus service, they can now take a free Squamish Transit bus to school and get there safely. We went from having buses half full, to two thirds full, to absolutely jammed."
A new bus schedule which was introduced in August of 2003 was the other contributing factor. With routing changes aimed at making buses more accessible and increased service in certain areas of town, Squamish Transit has managed to make it easier to take the bus for residents.
"I think the Valleycliffe service and the increased service along the Government Road/Queens Way corridor have helped with the increase," said Pass.
Even a rate increase last year- the first one in five years - wasn't enough to discourage riders from taking the bus. One-way rates were increased by 25 cents for adults and seniors when the new schedule was announced.
Student fees did not increase and the cost of a monthly bus pass saw a zero per cent increase as well.
The numbers all add up to a bright future for bus service in Squamish."It shows that people are more committed to taking public transit," said Pass. "And that as Squamish continues to grow, Squamish Transit will be a part of that growth. It justifies future expansion of transit," said Pass.
Improvements continue to be made to Squamish's bus fleet, as Pass noted that all three Squamish Transit buses have now been equipped with bike racks.
