After months of discussion about bus service in the South Peace, B.C. Transit presented options to Dawson Creek city council, offering alternatives to the city’s existing school-based routes.
Ahead of the discontinuation of medium fleets, which the city currently has, representatives from the provincial transit service provider spoke in council chambers. Based on the current ridership data collected by B.C. Transit, they recommended “transitioning the medium duty feet to a mix of heavy and light duty vehicles (as it) is the most sustainable approach.”
With the proposed fleet upgrade, the city’s transit costs are also expected to rise “a notable amount,” though B.C. Transit could not yet provide a specific estimate.
Based on rider feedback, the current school-day based service was described as ineffective for non-students. As it stands, two routes operate in Dawson Creek. The routes were based around school schedules, because make up one-third to half of riders in the city.
As a result, trips for riders not travelling to school can be exceptionally long.
“People from the north side of town, however, have to transfer to get to the large commercial areas on the south side,” said Kevin Sturgeon, a service planning manager with B.C. Transit during the presentation to council.
“A one-way trip can take 80 minutes, which is about 3.5 kilometres, and then the return trip would take 120 minutes. So, two hours to go a total distance of seven kilometres,” he continued.
To help alleviate some transit-related tension, the planning manager and a colleague offered alternatives – including 40 or 60 minute one-route looping paths. This shift would drop some stops, and specific decisions would be made during planning, if councillors move forward.
Mayor Darcy Dober and city councillor Jerimy Earl mentioned the city’s alternative to the provincial on-demand HandyDART system, Step Up “N” Ride. Earl asked how it could be integrated alongside B.C. Transit.
“We certainly make an attempt to ensure our services are complimentary to anything else that may be operating in that area,” explained Chris Fudge, the director of government relations for the Crown corporation.
“There is a lot of work that goes into making sure that what we’re doing is not duplicative, but rather complimentary,” explained Fudge.
Councillors did not decide how to proceed with the system at this meeting and bus service will not be interrupted in the meantime.
Estimated costs will be provided based on the councillors’ call. If services remain the same, the municipal portion will be approximately $440,000 for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, according to a report from staff presented last December.
