Penticton Transit Network Restructure Plan

Hi Claudette,

Appropriate vehicle type is something we are looking at through this plan, but it's important to keep in mind that a bus may be more or less full depending on where it is on the route. It's critical that the bus be large enough to accommodate the maximum number of people we typically see on that bus, so that people aren't left behind. That said, we recognize that large buses aren't necessarily always the right choice, which is why we are exploring opportunities to use smaller vehicles on certain routes.

Thanks,

Erin Sparks

Hi Penny Rae,

For travel from the Kelowna airport to Penticton, you can board route 23 UBCO, and take it to the UBCO transit exchange. From there, transfer to route 97 Okanagan and get off at either Queensway Exchange or Westbank Exchange. From there, you can board route 70 Penticton, which will take you south to Penticton. Note that routes 23 and 97 are part of the Kelowna Regional transit system, so you will have to pay a separate fare.

Detailed trip planning can be done via Google, Transit app or the trip planning tool on our website: https://bctransit.com/south-okanagan-similkameen/home

Thanks,

Erin Sparks

Hi Graham,

Thanks for your comments. In addition to the increased frequencies being proposed as part of this plan, we are also proposing increased service span from 6 AM to approximately 9 PM on all local Penticton routes. Later evening service is currently provided by route 15, which operates in a large loop. Through this plan, we would be redirecting those resources towards later evening service on all local routes, providing better coverage across the entire network.

Thanks,

Erin Sparks

Hi Gord,

Thanks for your question. BC Transit provides transit service in partnership with local governments across the province, and in order to provide transit service in an area, we need to have an agreement with the local government. Currently within the South Okanagan-Similkameen transit system, we partner with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, City of Penticton, District of Summerland and Town of Princeton. Moving forward, we plan to work with the City of Penticton and the Penticton Indian Band to identify opportunities to extend transit service to places like Red Wing Estates, as we recognize this is a gap within the network. The forthcoming South Okanagan Similkameen Transit Future Action Plan highlights this as a priority.

Thanks,

Erin Sparks

Hi Christina,

Thanks for your comment. This project just focuses on routes that operate within the City of Penticton, so we aren't looking at modifying service to or within Summerland at this time. The forthcoming South Okanagan-Similkameen Transit Future Action Plan does propose the creation of a local route within Summerland; the exact routing would be determined through further engagement in the future.

Thanks,

Erin Sparks

Hi Lori,

Thanks for your question. We do not have any plans to add schedules to bus stops that do not already have them. If the online trip planning tools do not work for you, the best way to find out what time a bus comes to a particular stop is by using the Rider's Guide. We do not list every stop in the Rider's Guide, but you can get an approximate time by looking at the trip times for whichever timing point is before and after the stop you're at. Rider's Guides are available onboard the bus. You can also call 1-844-442-2212 for trip planning assistance. 

Thanks,

Erin Sparks

Hello,

We have schedules posted at select bus stops across the region, such as at exchanges or stops that are used by multiple routes, but we do not have plans to add this to all stops in the South Okanagan-Similkameen transit system. For detailed trip planning, we recommend that you use the trip planner tool on our website, Google maps or the Transit app.

Depending on where you're transferring, there are a few places to connect with the 30 Summerland. The main stops are Cherry Lane, the hospital and Okanagan College, but the 30 shares stops with a handful of local Penticton routes, like the 1, 2 and 4.

Thanks,

Erin Sparks

Hello,

A survey is just one of the things we are doing as part of this engagement, as it helps us get feedback from a wide swath of people across the city. We are also hosting four open houses and having ongoing conversations with stakeholders and employers in Penticton about their travel habits and what would help them shift to transit.

Thanks,

Erin Sparks

Hello,

A key component of increasing ridership is providing reliable, consistent, frequent service that connects people to their destinations. Providing special event service is certainly a way to generate ridership and reduce car dependency, but the main generators of transit need are the everyday trips that people take to school, work, the grocery store or other daily destinations. 

Oftentimes when routes are not particularly busy, it's because they aren't frequent enough, they don't run late enough or they aren't direct enough. Through this Network Restructure Plan, our goal is to address those challenges specifically for routes that operate within Penticton, whereas previous planning projects in the South Okanagan-Similkameen have focused on the region as a whole.

If you haven't already, I encourage you to take our survey to share your feedback on the route concepts!

Thanks,

Erin Sparks

Hello,

Thanks for your question. There are many things that go into the planning process; a survey is just one part of the puzzle. We also collect detailed ridership data, talk to stakeholders and transit operators, ride buses to observe how the system is functioning, work with our local government partners to figure out how to redesign service to best suit the needs of current and future riders, and more! For this specific planning project, we are doing all of the above, and are also hosting four open houses to get out and talk to people about transit in Penticton.

Thanks,

Erin Sparks