spongeg
July 13th, 2006, 06:18 AM
VICTORIA, July 10 /CNW/ - BC Transit's Municipal Systems Program carried
a total of 19.3 million passengers in 2005/06, an increase of 672,813 (4%)
over the previous year. The program includes 69 transit systems across British
Columbia outside Greater Vancouver and Victoria.
"BC Transit Municipal Systems Program ridership continues to report
increased ridership, surpassing other transit systems across Canada," said BC
Transit Chair Greg Slocombe. "The transit partnership between BC Transit,
local governments and private companies produces superior results."
Conventional Transit:
---------------------
The 24 conventional transit systems carried 17.9 million passengers, with
an increase in ridership of 3% (590,000 passengers) compared to the prior
year. New or re-allocated services were targeted at key market groups
including the following:
<<
- Kamloops up 227,000 passengers (9%), due mostly to the continued
success of U-Pass.
- Central Fraser Valley up 165,000 passengers (13%), as commuters and
students continue to respond to service changes implemented in
September 2004.
- Prince George up 163,000 passengers (18%) as a result of service
improvements targeted at post-secondary students and other key
markets.
- Campbell River, Comox Valley, Cowichan Valley, Cranbrook and Port
Alberni all recorded double-digit increases in ridership (totaling
166,000 more passengers) on re-designed services in most cases.
>>
The increases were offset by ridership losses in some communities, most
notably in Whistler where ridership was off by 381,000 due to market
conditions.
<<
Conventional transit highlights for this year include:
- For the first time Kelowna Regional conventional transit exceeded
3 million passengers and Prince George exceeded 1 million passengers.
- Whistler Transit - WAVE - continues to have the highest ridership
performance of any transit system in BC, including Vancouver and
Victoria.
>>
CUSTOM AND PARATRANSIT:
-----------------------
The custom and paratransit systems carried 1.37 million passengers in
2005/06, up 8% (101,429) from the prior year.
Of the 14 custom transit systems, Central Fraser Valley, Chilliwack,
Kelowna Regional, Nanaimo Regional and Vernon Regional accounted for almost
all of the year-over-year increase in passengers. All the growth was in van
and Taxi Saver passengers.
Among the thirty-one paratransit systems, thirteen posted double-digit
increases in ridership: Agassiz-Harrison, Castlegar Regional, Clearwater,
Comox Valley, Fort St. John, Nelson-Slocan Valley, North Okanagan, Okanagan
Similkameen, 100 Mile House, Osoyoos, Port Edward, Quesnel, and Shuswap.
<<
Custom highlights for this year include:
- Vernon Regional custom transit has the highest ridership performance of
any specialized transit system in Canada
>>
NEW PARTNERSHIPS:
-----------------
"The core partnership between BC Transit, local government and private
companies was enhanced in 2005/06 with a new integrated public transit and
medical transportation partnership with the Interior Health Authority,"
reported Slocombe. "This new partnership provides valuable transportation to
British Columbia residents in small towns and rural areas."
BC Transit, the Interior Health Authority (IHA) and seven local
governments implemented new or expanded public transit service to residents of
small towns and rural areas in the latter part of the year. The service
delivers non-emergency medical transportation services through cost sharing of
resources (such as vehicles, overhead and management services) between the IHA
and BC Transit's core transit partnership with local governments.
RIDERSHIP PERFORMANCE:
----------------------
The 4% increase in overall ridership in the Municipal Systems Program
exceeded the 2.5% increase for Canada as a whole.
When compared to other provinces, BC continues to exceed the performance
of the national increase of similar systems, according to the Canadian Urban
Transit Association.
Looking at the combined results of B.C.'s six largest conventional
transit systems (Central Fraser Valley, Kamloops, Kelowna Regional, Nanaimo
Regional, Prince George and Whistler), B.C. has significantly higher rides per
capita than comparable groups of systems in all other provinces (29.1 compared
to 25.3). It also has higher riders per hour (27.1 compared to 25.8) as well
as a lower operating cost per passenger ($2.63 compared to $2.89).
For custom transit systems, BC continues to lead in comparable groups of
systems with 4.1 passengers per hour compared to 2.6. And an operating cost of
$11.19 per passenger compared to $19.94.
BACKGROUND:
-----------
BC Transit's Municipal Systems Program is a $71.2 million operation,
providing access to transit services for over 1.04 million people in British
Columbia (not including Greater Vancouver and Victoria). In coordinating the
delivery of public transportation, BC Transit partners with 50 local
governments, 19 private operating companies and 14 non-profit agencies.
Note to reporter: For background performance statistics for each
community, visit
http://www.busonline.ca/corporate/general_info/media_resources/
source (http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/July2006/10/c8687.html)
a total of 19.3 million passengers in 2005/06, an increase of 672,813 (4%)
over the previous year. The program includes 69 transit systems across British
Columbia outside Greater Vancouver and Victoria.
"BC Transit Municipal Systems Program ridership continues to report
increased ridership, surpassing other transit systems across Canada," said BC
Transit Chair Greg Slocombe. "The transit partnership between BC Transit,
local governments and private companies produces superior results."
Conventional Transit:
---------------------
The 24 conventional transit systems carried 17.9 million passengers, with
an increase in ridership of 3% (590,000 passengers) compared to the prior
year. New or re-allocated services were targeted at key market groups
including the following:
<<
- Kamloops up 227,000 passengers (9%), due mostly to the continued
success of U-Pass.
- Central Fraser Valley up 165,000 passengers (13%), as commuters and
students continue to respond to service changes implemented in
September 2004.
- Prince George up 163,000 passengers (18%) as a result of service
improvements targeted at post-secondary students and other key
markets.
- Campbell River, Comox Valley, Cowichan Valley, Cranbrook and Port
Alberni all recorded double-digit increases in ridership (totaling
166,000 more passengers) on re-designed services in most cases.
>>
The increases were offset by ridership losses in some communities, most
notably in Whistler where ridership was off by 381,000 due to market
conditions.
<<
Conventional transit highlights for this year include:
- For the first time Kelowna Regional conventional transit exceeded
3 million passengers and Prince George exceeded 1 million passengers.
- Whistler Transit - WAVE - continues to have the highest ridership
performance of any transit system in BC, including Vancouver and
Victoria.
>>
CUSTOM AND PARATRANSIT:
-----------------------
The custom and paratransit systems carried 1.37 million passengers in
2005/06, up 8% (101,429) from the prior year.
Of the 14 custom transit systems, Central Fraser Valley, Chilliwack,
Kelowna Regional, Nanaimo Regional and Vernon Regional accounted for almost
all of the year-over-year increase in passengers. All the growth was in van
and Taxi Saver passengers.
Among the thirty-one paratransit systems, thirteen posted double-digit
increases in ridership: Agassiz-Harrison, Castlegar Regional, Clearwater,
Comox Valley, Fort St. John, Nelson-Slocan Valley, North Okanagan, Okanagan
Similkameen, 100 Mile House, Osoyoos, Port Edward, Quesnel, and Shuswap.
<<
Custom highlights for this year include:
- Vernon Regional custom transit has the highest ridership performance of
any specialized transit system in Canada
>>
NEW PARTNERSHIPS:
-----------------
"The core partnership between BC Transit, local government and private
companies was enhanced in 2005/06 with a new integrated public transit and
medical transportation partnership with the Interior Health Authority,"
reported Slocombe. "This new partnership provides valuable transportation to
British Columbia residents in small towns and rural areas."
BC Transit, the Interior Health Authority (IHA) and seven local
governments implemented new or expanded public transit service to residents of
small towns and rural areas in the latter part of the year. The service
delivers non-emergency medical transportation services through cost sharing of
resources (such as vehicles, overhead and management services) between the IHA
and BC Transit's core transit partnership with local governments.
RIDERSHIP PERFORMANCE:
----------------------
The 4% increase in overall ridership in the Municipal Systems Program
exceeded the 2.5% increase for Canada as a whole.
When compared to other provinces, BC continues to exceed the performance
of the national increase of similar systems, according to the Canadian Urban
Transit Association.
Looking at the combined results of B.C.'s six largest conventional
transit systems (Central Fraser Valley, Kamloops, Kelowna Regional, Nanaimo
Regional, Prince George and Whistler), B.C. has significantly higher rides per
capita than comparable groups of systems in all other provinces (29.1 compared
to 25.3). It also has higher riders per hour (27.1 compared to 25.8) as well
as a lower operating cost per passenger ($2.63 compared to $2.89).
For custom transit systems, BC continues to lead in comparable groups of
systems with 4.1 passengers per hour compared to 2.6. And an operating cost of
$11.19 per passenger compared to $19.94.
BACKGROUND:
-----------
BC Transit's Municipal Systems Program is a $71.2 million operation,
providing access to transit services for over 1.04 million people in British
Columbia (not including Greater Vancouver and Victoria). In coordinating the
delivery of public transportation, BC Transit partners with 50 local
governments, 19 private operating companies and 14 non-profit agencies.
Note to reporter: For background performance statistics for each
community, visit
http://www.busonline.ca/corporate/general_info/media_resources/
source (http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/July2006/10/c8687.html)