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Valley Connector transit service approved by electors

Thompson-Nicola Regional District given the go-ahead to funding for the Valley Connector transit service

Thompson-Nicola Regional District announced last week that an alternative approval process had given the go-ahead to funding for the Valley Connector transit service.

The service provides a weekly bus on Thursdays from Vavenby to Kamloops and back for a nominal user fee.

Once a month the bus runs from Blue River.

Under the alternative approval process, the electors are deemed to have approved a proposal unless 10 per cent of the electors sign a response form indicating they do not want the local government to proceed.

Deadline to submit response forms was Sept. 9.

The bylaw establishes a transit service for portions of Electoral Areas “A” and “O” and all of Electoral Area “B”, as well as for the districts of Barriere and Clearwater.

Yellowhead Community Services provides the service for the TNRD.

In 2011 the town councils in Clearwater and Barriere, plus the TNRD board of directors, approved a pilot one day per week transit service from Vavenby to Kamloops, with money coming from federal gas tax revenues.

The service continued through 2012 using discretionary economic development funds.

 

However, with the service’s continued success, the need was identified for more permanent funding.