[News] New Funding Supports Rural Regional Transportation

The Province is providing funding to help develop and maintain safe, reliable and affordable regional transportation options for rural communities.

Government is contributing $5 million to the Northern Development Initiative Trust to continue BC Bus North and the Northern Community Shuttle Program until 2026-27. This funding will ensure the continuation of critical transit services, including community shuttles, which connect people in rural communities to regional centres. To date, 16 northern B.C. communities and organizations have received funding through this program and are operating community shuttles.

“We understand how critical BC Bus North and the Northern Community Shuttle program are to meeting the needs of people in northern communities who may otherwise have limited transportation options,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Extending these northern programs will ensure people can continue to access safe, reliable and affordable travel options to connect to family and industry in larger centres.”

The Province is also contributing $250,000 to help build an easy-to-use web-based platform for travel planning, reservations and customer service to help reduce barriers to travel in the North. The new, booking system will include multiple service providers and allow people to book various travel options using one platform. The platform should be ready to use by fall 2023.

“Passenger transportation services in northern B.C. will benefit greatly from this investment by the Province of B.C.,” said Joel McKay, chief executive officer, Northern Development Initiative Trust. “The $5 million to extend the Northern Passenger Transportation Service funding program will support the operations of shuttle buses between rural and remote communities, while also benefiting the BC Bus North service that travels between regional centres. This additional funding will support mobility for those who live and work in B.C.’s North, allowing them to visit family and friends and access services using reliable transportation.”

In addition, the Province has provided $2.5 million to the Northern Development Initiative Trust, the Island Coastal Economic Trust and the Economic Trust of the southern Interior to conduct regional engagement on and analysis of rural, regional inter-city transportation. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will use the outcomes of the trusts’ engagements, complemented by further engagement with other regions in the coming months, to help inform next steps for developing options on transportation solutions in rural communities.

Quotes:

Jennifer Rice, MLA, North Coast –

“As B.C.’s Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health, and having lived in rural B.C. for over two decades, I know that bridging the transportation gap ensures rural residents have equitable access to health-care services. It promotes health equity, reduces health-care disparities, and contributes to better health outcomes for people living in rural communities. That’s why we are extending BC Bus North and the Northern Community Shuttle Program, and taking new measures to make long-distance rural travel more accessible for people in other areas of rural B.C.”

Roly Russell, MLA, Boundary-Similkameen, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development –

“Rural residents know that transportation between towns is crucial to support future opportunities, whether it's supporting future economic growth, building healthy and sustainable communities, recruiting new families or simply empowering British Columbians to get where they need to go. These partnerships will help rural residents thrive, while living in the places they want to be in.”

Brodie Guy, CEO, Island Coastal Economic Trust –

“Island and coastal people, communities and businesses face unique transportation challenges as we work to build a resilient economy that strengthens everyone’s well-being. We appreciate this investment by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure that enables us to gather perspectives that will inform future transportation solutions across the coast.”

Laurel Douglas, CEO, Trust of the Southern Interior –

“The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior is pleased to help gather knowledge and input on our region’s rural passenger transportation services, needs and considerations for the future. As an economic development trust, we believe a region-wide perspective on this topic is key, as inter-city ground transportation is important to the economic and social needs of our residents.”

Quick Facts:

• In June 2018, government responded to the loss of Greyhound service by creating BC Bus North.
• Like many other transit sectors, inter-city bus operations experienced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• In response, the ministry-implemented policy changes and provided $6.2 million in StrongerBC grants in 2021-22.
• In March 2021, the ministry entered into a four-year agreement (2021-22 to 2024-25) with NDIT to administer $7.9 million to establish safe and affordable passenger transportation services for northern and rural communities.
• NDIT manages the Northern Community Shuttle Program, which has provided 16 grants to communities and organizations to operate community shuttles.

Learn More:

For more information about the Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT), visit: https://www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/funding-programs/partner-programs/northern-passenger-transportation-service/

For more information about the Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET), visit: https://islandcoastaltrust.ca/

For more information about the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), visit: https://www.etsi-bc.ca/