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Changes coming July 2 to West Kootenay Regional Transit

New transit routes, new schedules and new fare increases
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Part of the BC Transit fleet. Stock Image.

The West Kootenay Regional Transit Project, earlier projected to start in September of this year, will now see significant changes on July 2, 2013.

The West Kootenay Transit Committee (WKTC) released a number of details today, including: new transit routes, new schedules and new fare increases for adults, seniors and students in almost every ridership category.

- Adult cash fares increase from $1.75 to $2.00- Adult book of 10 tickets increase from $15.00 to $18.00- Adult monthly passes increase from $46.00 to $50.00

- Senior cash fares increase from $1.50 to $2.00- Senior book of 10 tickets increase from $13.50 to $15.75

- Student cash fares increase from $1.50 to $2.00- Student book of 10 tickets increase from $13.50 to $15.75

There will be a $1 decrease in Student and Senior monthly passes to $35.00.

Another change noted in the release was an "all zone" fare (ranging from $3.50 for a single cash fare to $90.00 for a monthly pass) for three different zones (Kootenay, Slocan and Columbia).

"It's not really an increase," said Castlegar Mayor Lawrence Chernoff, who is also chairperson of the WKTC. "It's really the opportunity to — instead of paying once and then move to another zone and pay again – it's setting the fares where they are reasonable."

The Kootenay Zone includes routes 1 to 19; Slocan Zone routes 20 to 29; Columbia Zone routes 30 to 39 and Columbia Zone (Kootenay Boundary) is made up of routes 40 to 49.

"We're trying to work things so everything runs smoothly," said Chernoff.

Other notable changes include:

- two additional trips between Nelson and Castlegar

- four of six regional trips from Castlegar finish at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital

- route #5 service covered by route #9 from Trail (no deviation into Blueberry or Fairview)

- one additional return trip on #1

- two additional return trips on #2

- a new Friday early evening #3

- an earlier trip to Selkirk College on #6

- introduction of new smaller community busses to the local Nelson service

"We're trying to materialize this into more people using the buses than ever before," said Chernoff. "Additional runs from Nelson to Castlegar to Trail, it kind of ties it all together in this new plan.

"That's the big thing here, you could get on a bus from Trail and go all the way to Nelson."

Children under four years of age ride free and senior rates apply to those persons age 65 and older upon presentation of valid ID. Students must be in full-time attendance to Grade 12 upon presentation of valid student ID and college student fare products are available to full-time college students upon presentation of valid student ID. Tickets and passes are available for sale on campus only.

BC Transit and local transit providers are finalizing schedules that will be made available in the next few weeks. For more information, visit: www.bctransit.com