Public transit has many similar benefits to active transportation – it’s good for our health, can provide an accessible option for people with mobility issues, provides social interaction, is more affordable than a personal vehicle, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and can also help to reduce traffic. A good public transit system benefits people and the planet.
Creating a viable public transit system in smaller semi-rural communities comes with big challenges. To make riding by bus a better option, we need more frequency and improved connections between routes. We also need more links to destinations such as the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market, Denman and Hornby islands, and Nanaimo.
Inter-regional transportation for commuters, more school specials, taxi-bus and rideshare options, flexible routing and schedules, and demand-responsive transit are other possible improvements that have been successful in communities like ours.
Public transit is a shared service administered by the Comox Valley Regional District in partnership with BC Transit. Kudos to all the staff who support this important and challenging work here, particularly over COVID times. There is a 2022 Transit Futures Action Plan on the CVRD website.
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