By Katie Stobbart (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: September 17, 2014
For a commuter campus like UFV, effective transit is essential. The current stage in BC Transit’s plans for inter-regional rapid transit involve an invitation for residents of the Fraser Valley to share input.
In October 2013, the Fraser Valley Regional District approved a Chilliwack-Abbotsford-Langley public bus route with a hoped-for implementation date of September 2014. That date has come and gone without the materialization of said bus, but BC Transit is still moving forward with the plan.
From September 9 to 12 last week, BC Transit held open houses at eight locations in Abbotsford, Langley, Mission, and Chilliwack to solicit public opinion on the proposed Fraser Valley Express (FVX) route. There is also a survey available until September 19 on BC Transit’s website for those unable to attend.
As previously reported in the September 3 issue of The Cascade (“Transit talk highlights August SUS board meeting”), the route is now scheduled to start in April 2015.
Furthermore, an issue raised at the same SUS meeting is that the FVX route will not be included in SUS’s U-Pass program, at least not in its early stages of implementation. The additional fare for the FVX will be $6.
The schedule will run weekday mornings and evenings to specifically cater to commuters, students, and community members looking for recreational or medical services. As the routes gain popularity, more times may be added to the schedule.
With files from Taylor Breckles.