Kimberley City Council has approved a proposed expansion to its transit service, as long as the B.C. government grants the necessary funding.
The expansion included the Route 22 Kimberley-Cranbrook Commuter service, which could come into effect in the first year of the three-year plan.
This phase could see the service add 850 service hours and two additional fleet vehicles.
Currently, Route 22 offers two morning and two evening trips between Kimberley and Cranbrook on weekdays. The proposed expansion would add one morning and one evening trip for a total of six per day.
This comes as the route has seen increasing demand and the highway between Cranbrook and Kimberley becomes increasingly busy with weekday traffic.
Mayor Don McCormick said the plan to expand Route 22 is backed up by data from a traffic counter placed along Highway 95A.
“We got the first quarter results – from January to March – and over that period of time, the average daily number of tips seven days a week was 6,800,” said McCormick.
“Our opportunity for folks living in Kimberley and working in Cranbrook, if we have proper routing, time and whatnot. We have a big opportunity to take a lot of cars off the road.”
The first phase of the proposal is estimated to cost the city $58,610, while BC Transit and the provincial government will cover the rest.
In year two, the plan proposes more resources behind the Route 24 On-Request service, which picks up passengers from their chosen location that is booked one day in advance.
If the funding comes through, Kimberley’s on-demand shuttle service would add 1,000 service hours and one additional vehicle.
Year two would also include an expansion to the Route 23 Peak to Platzl Shuttle, which could cost the city $13,162 for its share.
It would add 350 service hours to the typically winter-only service, allowing the route to run well into summer.
McCormick said expanded transit services will have a positive impact beyond just climate initiatives.
“It’s not just about carbon, it’s also about safety,” said McCormick.
“I’m sure people have seen drivers pushing the envelope and passing when people are coming the other way. It’s incredible the risks people are taking. The higher the traffic, the more risks that come with that.”
While the city’s plans are in place now, it could still be a while before they become reality.
“If this is approved by the province, we would anticipate the expanded service to begin in January 2026,” said Troy Pollock, Manager of Planning.
“That’s subject to a lot of pieces falling into place and coming together, but we should hear by spring of 2025 whether provincial funding is approved.”
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