Province hails strong response to Highway 16 shuttle options from Terrace to Prince George

An estimated 5,000 passengers have taken to the new Highway 16 shuttle
program in the last year, with community buses operated by BC Transit
linking communities from Terrace to Prince George.

It's been one year since the province of British Columbia rolled out the Highway 16 Transit plan's shuttle connection, which features a string of routes connecting communities along the Highway 16 corridor.

According to statistics released on Friday by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, approximately 5,000 people have made use of BC Transit's expanded public transit service between northern communities since the first bus too to the road last January.

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Claire Trevena took note of how the many elements of the program have come together to provide for the safe and reliable connection service along the corridor.

“People in northern B.C. ­ in particular, women and teen aged girls – are benefiting from these new transportation services, knowing there is a safe link to get between communities,”  ...  “As minister, I’m proud to see how the increase in bus service, community vehicles and other aspects of the plan have come together and provided a significant boost to safe and reliable travel for people in northern B.C.”

The program was launched On January 30th, 2017 providing a link between Smithers and Moricetown, a thirty minute transit that is offered for a 2.75 one way fare.

Since then similar routes have been created at a cost of 5 dollars for a one way fare to connect Burns Lake with Prince George, Smithers, the Hazeltons and Terrace.

You can review more about the findings after the one year anniversary here.

Prince Rupert remains off the destination list so far, despite previous calls from North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice for just such a service to be put in place from Prince Rupert to points east, as well as a couple of invitations from the province to join the transportation network through last year.

To this point of the roll out by BC Transit, the City of Prince Rupert and other regional partners have decided to stay with their own program for now, a project that provides for an alternative to the provincial delivery program of transit options for those in need on the North Coast.

The background to that program, which is hosted by the Transition House In Prince Rupert was outlined by the City of Prince Rupert and Mayor Lee Brain back in December of 2016.

While the communities of the North Coast still are not part of the larger BC Transit
provided shuttle system now in place across Northern British Columbia.
The Friendship House in Prince Rupert has started to offer twice
a week service to Terrace from their Fraser Street offices

Since that time, a secondary transportation option has been created, with the Friendship House making use of a provincial grant program to purchase a highway van, with twice a week service recently having been launched for five dollars one way between the Friendship House and Terrace's Skeena Mall.

For more items related to transportation issues along the Highway 16 corridor see our archive page.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review