Squamish politicians push for transit linking town to Metro Vancouver

BC Transit is still looking at buses that would link Metro Vancouver with the growing city of Squamish but don't expect it anytime soon.

"It's still very much in the planning phase," said BC Transit CEOManuel Achadinha, adding one of the biggest issues being looked at was how any service would link up with TransLink routes, both in terms of service and payment.

"It's got to be accessible to other types of transit. That's why they're talking with TransLink. If the service is going to work, it has to work for both sides. It's incumbent for us to work together."

In 2015, BC Transit said their goal was to introduce weekday service between Squamish and Metro Vancouver by 2020 and weekend service by 2025.

• Public transit route from Vancouver to Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton proposed

SquamishMayor PatriciaHeintzmansaid she is disappointed atthe lack of progress.

"To be very frank, I felt that was a little bit of lip service. I'm sure they're talking about it, but ... I don't think we're there yet from a funding standpoint," she said.

The town is45 kilometresnorth of West Vancouverand now has a population of approximately 20,000 people, many of whom work in the Lower Mainland.

"We have thousands of people every day commuting fromSquamishto Vancouver.It's going to happen. We've been trying to push [TransLink] to work with BC Transitwith how do we seamlessly deliver this."

More buses connecting communities

BC Transit already has connector services from the Fraser Valley to Metro Vancouver, Victoria to Cowichan, Vernon to Kelownaand in the Kootenays.

However, Achadinhasaid there were increasing pressures to providemore buses between municipalities, especially withGreyhound proposing the elimination of many bus routes throughout B.C.

• 'Safe, reliable and affordable': New bus service aims to make notorious Highway of Tears less dangerous
• Greyhound wants to eliminate more bus routes in B.C.

"As the private sector jumps out of these services, there's pressure on us to jump in," he said.

"Communities are asking us, hey we want a bus from Summerland to Kelownaor Cowichan to Nanaimo."

Achadinhasaid regional bus routes can beexpensive and time consuming to plan, asnearly half of B.C.'s Transit's funding comes from individual local governments.

But, he said, ultimately, it's a service critical tomany communities.

"It's a growing issue. People want to get to their doctors, their lawyers.If they're in a smaller communities, they don't want to move, but they need connections to those services, so they're looking to transit."