Summary

• More service hours added on several key routes, including Route 98 Rutland/UBCO, and networks restructured in Rutland and Mission to improve connectivity
• Increased service on Route 97 Okanagan
• Sunday handyDART service begins, providing better weekend coverage and access to transit options for people with mobility needs

__________

People using transit in the Kelowna Regional Transit System have access to improved transit options with the introduction of additional service hours on several routes, along with the introduction of handyDART service on Sundays.

“People in the Kelowna Regional Transit System now have more convenient and reliable transit options, including expanded bus service and new handyDART service on Sundays,” said George Anderson, parliamentary secretary for transit. “Working with BC Transit and local partners, we’re improving access to public transportation and making it easier for people to travel across the city and connect with the services they rely on.”

Strengthening connections across Kelowna

To support increasing ridership and convenient transit service for people throughout the province, BC Transit and the B.C. government partnered with the City of Kelowna and the City of West Kelowna to expand services in the community.

This builds on the work done in communities throughout B.C. to provide improved transit services and connect communities. The service expansion began on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, with the introduction of additional service hours to several routes and new service hours for handyDART service on Sundays, to improve access to custom transit options.

New routes, better service

• Weekday service on Route 98 Rutland/UBC Okanagan (UBCO) increased during peak periods and now features extended evening-service hours. Weekend day-service frequency also increased.
• The improvements being made to Route 98 Rutland/UBCO enable adjustments to routes 10, 11 and 14, allowing these routes to better serve riders.
• As part of the Mission Network Restructure, a new route called Route 16 Mission has been created to serve the entire Mission area. This route replaces Route 16 Kettle Valley and Route 17 Southridge, which were discontinued.
• An extension of Route 5 Gordon provides service along Gordon Drive and Lakeshore Road between the Mission Rec Exchange and McClure Road. This new route segment operates on targeted trips to align with school bell times and the end of the work day.
• As a complement to the Mission Network Restructure, and following successful implementation of service in the Crawford neighbourhood, BC Transit’s OnDemand service is now available to riders in Lower Mission, supporting the Route 5 extension.
• Daily trips were added on Route 97 Okanagan between Queensway Exchange in downtown Kelowna and the Westbank Exchange in West Kelowna.
• handyDART hours were expanded, with new Sunday service from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

These investments in the local transit system ensure dependable service for people using public transportation in Kelowna and the surrounding communities. The Ministry of Transportation and Transit’s ongoing support for BC Transit ensures people outside Metro Vancouver continue to have access to the transit services they need.

Since 2017, the ministry has increased the provincial operating grant to BC Transit by approximately 70%, supporting transit service levels throughout the province and continuing to implement transit expansion that benefits people in British Columbia.