Lake Country, B.C. – Starting this Saturday, July 11, the District of Lake Country is launching a free eight-week Summer Shuttle Pilot Program, offering residents and visitors a new way to get around Lake Country throughout the summer.
The Summer Shuttle will operate on Saturdays and Sundays along a fixed route connecting beaches, parks, shopping areas, wineries, restaurants and community facilities. Beginning July 17, the Summer Shuttle will also provide dedicated Friday evening service between designated pickup locations and Live! in Lake Country at Swalwell Park.
The Summer Shuttle complements existing BC Transit service and does not replace Routes 23, 32 or 90. Together, the two services provide access to more destinations throughout Lake Country.
“This pilot is about exploring new ways to help people get around our community,” said Mayor Blair Ireland. “Whether it's kids getting to the beach, residents getting to work, families running errands or concertgoers heading to Live! in Lake Country, we're excited to test a service that gives people another option for getting around Lake Country while gathering valuable feedback to help shape future transportation planning.”
The Summer Shuttle Pilot implements a recommendation from the District's Integrated Transit Strategy, which identified a seasonal shuttle as an opportunity to improve transportation options in Lake Country. To better understand the community's transportation needs and assess the viability of a seasonal shuttle service, Council directed staff to test the concept through an eight-week pilot.
Approximately $43,000 from the District's Climate Action Reserve, a non-tax revenue source generated through the sale of electricity from the District's hydroelectric plant, will fund the Summer Shuttle. Throughout the pilot, the District will monitor ridership, travel patterns and community feedback to help inform future transportation planning and support Council's consideration of whether to continue or expand the service.
The Integrated Transit Strategy recommended testing a seasonal shuttle through a pilot so we could better understand how people use the service,” said Matthew Salmon, Director of Infrastructure and Development Services. “Over the next eight weeks, we'll be monitoring ridership, travel patterns and feedback to help determine whether this type of seasonal service meets the needs of our community.”
The shuttle is free to ride and open to everyone. Visit the District's Let's Talk Lake Country page for route maps, stop locations and to complete the online feedback survey after using the service.
Learn more: www.letstalk.lakecountry.bc.ca/summershuttle
Media Contact:
Zoë Callaghan
Communications Lead
District of Lake Country
[email protected]