Alongside the rollout of three new buses for the Campbell River transit system, BC Transit also announced this week that a location has been selected for their new Campbell River operations and maintenance facility.
The facility, announced as part of a $15-million investment by the federal and provincial governments last summer, will be located at 1150 Evergreen Rd. The facility is expected to be contructed and operational by March, 2019.
The selection of the Evergreen location, BC Transit says, was based on its central location, and lot size, providing “excellent access to key transportation corridors for BC Transit vehicles, while the increased lot size will help pave the way for future expansion,” according to a release on the facility. “At nearly five acres, the new location is approximately seven times larger than the existing Campbell River facility.”
Improving transit service in Campbell River has long been on the city’s agenda, according to Mayor Andy Adams.
“This has certainly been a vision of not only this council, but previous councils: to enhance and expand transit ridership not only for the city of Campbell River, but the regional district and tying in with the Comox Valley Regional District, as well,” Adams said at this week’s announcement.
Federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi was not in town for the announcement, but said in a release that the federal government, “is committed to funding projects that help meet increasing transit needs across the country. With demand growing steadily in Campbell River, we are pleased to see this project progressing. Once complete, it will not only support better daily transit services for users, but help lay the groundwork for economic development and middle-class job creation.”
North Island MLA and Minister of Transportation Claire Trevena says the provincial government “has been committed to making life more affordable for people, and the announcements we’ve been doing around the province with BC Transit the last few weeks and couple of months on increasing the fleet capacity, increasing the scope and increasing the capacity for operations and maintenance will all help people in that goal of making people have a more affordable life and assuring that the services are working for them,” adding the $15-million facility, “is obviously significant for the city,” and she hopes the investment in the new facility, along with improved routing and system overhaul will “continue to increase (ridership) over the coming weeks and months and we will see a real growth in transit for everybody in the North Island.”