BC Transit is restoring its original bus service along route 11 through the Gorge area after community members complained about changes to the 50-year-old route.
Roughly 3.5 kilometers of the route were cut off in late June while construction was taking place along Gorge Road West.
Commuters along this route were redirected onto route 25, which locals said offers less service and is a longer ride.
“When the construction finished we assumed that the new, inferior service that comes every hour would go away and we’d get the 15 minute route back, but now that the construction is finished they’ve realized that we’re keeping the 25,” said Gorge Tillicum Community Association member Mauricio Curbelo on Wednesday.
READ FULL STORY: BC Transit route change leaves Gorge residents ‘disappointed’
On Friday, BC Transit said it would return the original route 11 service starting Jan. 8, 2024.
Service along route 25 will continue until then.
“With a recent return of pre-pandemic ridership levels and increasing traffic congestion within the region, BC Transit must continue to balance the transit needs of specific areas with overall demands within the Victoria Regional Transit System,” said BC Transit in a release Friday.
The company adds that it will launch more community engagement in October and November to discuss potential changes in the area, which could be implemented as early as April 2024.
“This engagement seeks feedback on the tradeoffs between more direct service between key regional destinations in comparison to more extensive local coverage,” said BC Transit.
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Adam Chan
