BC Transit considers service to Campbell River Airport, McIvor Lake: survey

A new survey is seeking public feedback on potential improvements to public transit in Campbell River, including a new route that would take customers to the local airport and another that would stop by a popular lake.

BC Transit and the City of Campbell River are conducting a survey that launched Monday and will remain open until May 12, according to a news release.

The transit company says it’s seeking input on several possibilities:

• New service to Campbell River Airport (YBL) and the Ocean Grove neighbourhood
• Seasonal service to McIvor Lake
• Increased service frequency on select routes
• Service running earlier in the morning and later at night
• Service on statutory holidays

BC Transit does not currently provide service to YBL, with the closest drop-off along Jubilee Road, according to a map online. It also does not offer rides to McIvor Lake, described by the city as a “popular swimming and boating destination” along Highway 28, about 15 minutes from Campbell River.

The earliest BC Transit operates in Campbell River is around 6:30 a.m., and the latest is just before 11 p.m., with service unavailable on various holidays.

Online and in-person

The survey is online here, while paper surveys are also available and can be picked up and dropped off at Campbell River City Hall (301 St. Anns Rd.), Campbell River Community Centre (401 11 Ave.), Campbell River Sportsplex (1800 S. Alder St.) and Strathcona Gardens Recreation Complex (225 S. Dogwood St.).

“The results of this survey will be shared at an upcoming City of Campbell River council meeting and will inform the development of a Transit Future Action Plan for the Campbell River Transit System,” reads the release from Monday.

The engagement comes after transit in the Campbell River and Comox Valley systems got back on the road, ending a two-month-long strike that saw services withdrawn since Dec. 15, 2023, as workers called for increased wages.

More than 70 bus drivers and other staff had been on strike. By early February, Unifor Local 114 members voted 80 per cent in favour of an agreement for wage increases, including 9.5 per cent in the first year, among other pay bumps.

Amid the strike, workers and students said they were feeling the impacts, as drivers told CHEK News it was tough to see school children affected by the job action.

More info about the Campbell River Transit System is here.

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