RapidBus BC is coming to West Kelowna, making it easier and faster for families and commuters to travel. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer.

Westside-Kelowna MLA Ben Stewart was joined by West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater and BC Transit chief operating officer and vice-president of operations Mike Davis to announce the start of construction and a series of open houses, which will be held over the next few days at locations throughout the Westside. Residents are encouraged to view artistic renderings of the new exchanges, maps of the RapidBus BC expansion and to offer their input on the design phase of the project.

The West Kelowna expansion includes construction of two new transit exchanges at Westbank Centre and Boucherie Mountain. This service will begin in summer 2014 and will connect to the existing RapidBus BC service between downtown and UBCO.

Once complete, the entire Kelowna RapidBus BC project will include six new or improved exchanges, four new stations, branded shelters and real-time passenger information displays. RapidBus BC ridership has grown almost 10 per cent between downtown Kelowna and UBCO since the service began in 2010.

The Kelowna RapidBus project will spur economic development in communities and improve transportation options for families. In total, the project will receive up to $46 million from federal, provincial and local partners.

The Government of Canada is contributing up to $10.9 million from the Building Canada Fund and another $6 million from the Gas Tax Fund. The government of British Columbia will provide $23.9 million, the City of Kelowna $5.2 million, and West Kelowna is contributing land.

Since 2006, the Government of Canada has made unprecedented investments in infrastructure. Between 2006 and 2014, British Columbia will receive more than $1.56 billion from the Gas Tax Fund to improve local infrastructure. The Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) administers the Gas Tax Fund in British Columbia, in collaboration with Canada and British Columbia.

Canada's Economic Action Plan 2013 is delivering a new Building Canada Plan to build roads, bridges, subways, commuter rail, and other public infrastructure in cooperation with provinces, territories, and municipalities. The new Building Canada Plan, combined with other federal infrastructure investments, supports Canada's infrastructure advantage, a key enabler of economic growth and job creation.

In September 2012, the B.C. government released its response to the Independent BC Transit Review. BC Transit is committed to greater consultation and collaboration with its local government partners.

Quotes:

Westside-Kelowna MLA Ben Stewart -

"RapidBus is revolutionizing transit in the Okanagan. Ridership has grown nearly ten per cent since service began in 2010, and once the whole project is complete, RapidBus will provide 30 kilometers of service between West Kelowna and UBCO."

"Bringing RapidBus to West Kelowna will improve travel time with fast, direct service, and it will get people out of their cars, which will help reduce traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

District of West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater -

"RapidBus is a key part of our Westbank Centre Revitalization Strategy; we are so pleased to see this move ahead. We welcome the opportunity for public input and encourage citizens to attend the upcoming open houses in West Kelowna."

BC Transit vice president and chief operating officer Mike Davis -

"Kelowna's RapidBus is a project BC Transit takes great pride in. With regional support, RapidBus is growing and our customers will benefit from a more efficient and effective transit system."

Open House Schedule:

Visit the Transit Future Bus at any of the following locations and times:

Tuesday, April 2
|Mount Boucherie Senior Secondary
2751 Cameron Rd.
1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Wednesday, April 3
Save-on Foods
2475 Dobbin Rd.
9 a.m. - 12 noon

Wednesday, April 3
Westbank Centre
3717 Elliott Rd.
1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Wednesday, April 3
Mount Boucherie Community Complex
2760 Cameron Rd.
5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 4
Okanagan Lake Shopping Centre
Highway 97 at Westside Rd.
10 a.m. - 12 noon

Thursday, April 4
Boucherie Mountain
Super 8 Hotel at Westgate Rd.
1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Learn more:

For additional information about investments in infrastructure and to stay up-to-date with web feeds, visit: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/

For information about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit: www.actionplan.gc.ca

For information on the government of British Columbia, visit: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/Transit_Plan

For information on BC Transit, visit: http://www.bctransit.com/transitfuture/kelrapidbus_latestupdates.cfm

For information on the District of West Kelowna, visit: http://www.districtofwestkelowna.ca/index.aspx?page=604

For information on Kelowna RapidBus, visit: http://www.kelownarapidbus.ca

Media Contacts:

Kate Trotter
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 356-8241

Geneviève Sicard
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613 991-0700

Kirsten Jones
District of West Kelowna
778 797-2253

Meribeth Burton
BC Transit
250 507-8145