Kootenay Columbia School District 20 (SD20) is considering dropping some Castlegar stops from its bus routes, including one at a local daycare.
The district has been reviewing its transportation policies and looking for optimization options including dropping "legacy courtesy bus stops" that are not within service zones.
A legacy courtesy bus stop is a stop that does not meet service criteria because riders being serviced by these stops live within two kilometres of an elementary school or three kilometres of a secondary school.
After reviewing ridership, the district proposes to continue five courtesy stops in the Castlegar/Robson area and discontinue three stops.
The stops recommended to continue are on routes that are under capacity and the stops do not deviate from the direct route.
Cancellation proposals and reasoning:
• Columbia Avenue and Crescent Street – four courtesy riders are registered at this stop and the route is over capacity.
• Arrow Lakes Drive – 21 courtesy riders are registered and the route is over capacity.
• 14th Avenue and 26th Street Silly Monkeys, 14th Avenue and Highland Drive, Crestview Crescent and 11th Avenue – these stops have 58 registered courtesy riders and require deviation from direct routes. Space and time saved would be redeployed to full and/or overcapacity runs.
Parents with children registered as courtesy riders on these stops received notification letters around Jan. 21.
The letters state decisions are being made to "maximize the effectiveness of limited resources in light of ongoing capacity constraints and the board’s responsibility to operate with fiscal responsibility."
The potential elimination of the stop on 14th Avenue is causing concern to some parents whose children attend the Silly Monkeys Childcare Centre.
"This change in service will drastically impact the community and the parent's ability to work," said Angie Cox who is encouraging parents to attend the district's information sessions.
At two kilometres for elementary and three kilometres for grades 8-12, SD20 says its service zones are better than the provincial average of 3.3 kilometres for elementary and 3.94 kilometres for the older grades.
SD20 reports 60 per cent of district students are provided with transportation services. Of these students, nine per cent do not meet the eligibility criteria and are being provided service at legacy courtesy stops.
The SD20 Board of Education will be holding information and feedback sessions on Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. at the Stanley Humphries Secondary School Activity Room and on Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. at the Rossland Summit School Auditorium.
If you are unable to attend a session, more information is available through the school district. Questions and feedback can be sent to: superintendent@sd20.bc.ca prior to 4 p.m. on Feb. 6.
The feedback will be shared with the Board of Education at their Feb. 10 board meeting.
