Founded | 1977 |
---|---|
Headquarters | 1494 Hardy Street Kelowna, British Columbia V1Y 8H2 |
Service area | Central Okanagan |
Service type | Bus service, paratransit |
Alliance | BC Transit |
Routes | 30 |
Stops | 968 |
Operator | Transdev [1] |
Website | www |
Kelowna Regional Transit System is operated by Transdev, providing public bus transportation services in part of the central Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. [2] Funding for the transit system is shared between the City of Kelowna, Regional District of Central Okanagan, District of Lake Country, City of West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation and BC Transit, [2] while the planning and routing decisions are primarily made by Kelowna City Council. [3] Kelowna Regional Transit was one of the first public transit systems in Canada to have double-decker buses, and the first in Canada to have hybrid buses on regular routes. [4] The hybrid and double deckers buses have since been relocated to Victoria.
There are 29 regularly scheduled routes and a BRT service called RapidBus , connecting Westbank Centre Exchange, downtown Queensway Transit Exchange and UBC Okanagan Exchange. [5] Also, there is one route operated by Vernon Regional Transit and one route operated by South Okanagan-Similkameen Transit System [6] within Kelowna Regional Transit's operational area.
No. | Name | Areas Served | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Lakeshore | Kelowna | |
2 | North End Shuttle | Kelowna | |
3 | Dilworth Mt. | Kelowna | |
4 | Pandosy Express | Kelowna | Weekday rush hours, September to June only |
5 | Gordon | Kelowna | |
6 | Glenmore/UBCO Express | Kelowna | |
8 | University/College | Kelowna | |
9 | Shopper Shuttle | Kelowna | |
10 | North Rutland | Kelowna | |
11 | Rutland | Kelowna | |
12 | McCulloch | Kelowna | Community Shuttle Route, Limited service to Orchard Park Mall (Exchange) |
13 | Quail Ridge | Kelowna | Weekdays, mornings and afternoons only |
14 | Black Mountain | Kelowna | Community Shuttle Route, Limited service to Orchard Park Mall (Exchange) |
15 | Crawford | Kelowna | Community Shuttle Route |
16 | Kettle Valley | Mission | |
17 | South Ridge | Mission | |
18 | Glenmore/Downtown | Kelowna | |
19 | Glenmore/Orchard Park | Kelowna | |
20 | Lakeview | West Kelowna | |
21 | Glenrosa | West Kelowna | |
22 | Peachland | Peachland | Community Shuttle Route |
23 | Lake Country | Lake Country | Service to Kelowna International Airport 2 morning southbound Ellison trips (via Old Vernon Road), and 2 afternoon northbound trips. |
24 | Shannon Ridge | West Kelowna | |
25 | East Boundary | West Kelowna | Community Shuttle Route |
26 | Old Okanagan | West Kelowna | Community Shuttle Route |
28 | Shannon Lake | West Kelowna | Community Shuttle Route, weekdays only |
29 | Bear Creek | West Kelowna | Community Shuttle Route, weekdays only |
32 | The Lakes | Lake Country | Community Shuttle Route, Weekdays only |
70 | Kelowna /Penticton | Penticton | Interregional connector operated by South Okanagan-Similkameen Regional Transit System. Weekdays only, four times daily. Requires its own standalone fare. Passes and transfers from both the South Okanagan-Similkameen Regional Transit System and Kelowna Regional Transit System are not accepted. |
84 | Academy Way | Kelowna | |
88 | Special | Kelowna | September to June; School Days only. |
90 | UBCO/Vernon | Vernon | Interregional express route operated by Vernon Regional. Kelowna Regional Transit System fares are accepted on Route 90, but are not valid within the Vernon Regional Transit System. |
97 | Okanagan | Kelowna/West Kelowna | Bus rapid transit service [7] |
98 | Rutland/UBCO | Kelowna | |
97 Okanagan is rapid bus transit operated by Kelowna Regional Transit System since September 2010. RapidBus expanded its service to West Kelowna on September 2, 2012. Digital screens with real-time schedule information installed at all stops. [8]
97 Okanagan connects West Kelowna, downtown Kelowna and UBC Okanagan via HOV lanes on Highway 97 with traffic signal priority with limited stops to provide fast and direct service.
90 UBCO/Vernon is an interregional route connecting UBC Okanagan and downtown Vernon. This route is operated by Vernon Regional Transit, but Kelowna Regional Transit System fare applies for travel within Kelowna Regional Transit's operational area. Kelowna Regional Transit passes and transfers are also valid between UBC Okanagan and Oyama. [9]
70 Penticton/Kelowna is an interregional route connecting the South Okanagan to downtown West Kelowna and Kelowna. Northbound buses drop only in West Kelowna (no pickups), and pick up only in downtown Kelowna and West Kelowna on the southbound leg. Fares are separate from Kelowna Regional fares. Operated by Berry & Smith (South Okanagan contractor) [10]
HandyDART is a dial-a-ride service for people with a disability that is sufficiently severe that they are unable to use regular transit buses without assistance. Clients must be pre-registered to make use of this service.
All buses are equipped with bicycle carriers, capable of holding two bikes at a time. [11] Carriers cannot hold tandem or motor-powered bikes. Also, the length of handle bars must be shorter than 69 cm. [11] Bicycles are not allowed on community shuttles before dawn or after sunset, because they would block the headlights.
This section possibly contains unsourced predictions, speculative material, or accounts of events that might not occur. Information must be verifiable and based on reliable published sources.(April 2018) |
No. | Name | Area | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Lakeshore/Downtown Mission/Downtown | Kelowna | This route will strictly run down Pandosy and Lakeshore and no longer serve Okanagan College, however, this route will only be a short walk away. Furthermore, the 5 Gordon Drive can take the place of the 1 Lakeshore. The route will terminate at the H2O/Capital News Centre. |
4 | Express Pandosy/UBCO | Kelowna | This route will still serve Okanagan College to make up for the loss of the direct #1 service. |
6 | Glenmore/UBCO Downtown/UBCO | Kelowna | When John Hindle Drive is extended to UBCO, this route will likely be combined with the 7 Glenmore to provide all-day service to UBCO. |
7 | Glenmore Downtown/Orchard Park | Kelowna | When John Hindle Drive is extended to UBCO, this route will likely be combined with the 6 Glenmore to provide all-day service to UBCO. |
8 | University/OK College OC/UBCO | Kelowna | This route will run to Okanagan College and route through Campus East Route to avoid duplication of Gordon Drive with the 5 Gordon Drive and also provide two-way service on Ethel.. |
11 | Rutland Downtown/Rutland | Kelowna | This route will de diverted to Kelowna General Hospital via Springfield, Ethel, and Rose and then head to Queensway Exchange (downtown). The new #2 routing and 97 RapidBus stations at Gordon Drive and Parkinson will make up for this loss of service on Sutherland Avenue. |
22 | Peachland | Peachland | Establish a park and ride in Peachland to serve residents not located directly adjacent to the route. |
90 | North Okanagan Connector-Vernon | Vernon | Bus will no longer exit the highway to serve Oyama since statistic show few boardings in that area. Instead, it is proposed that a park and ride be established in Lake Country instead to serve these residents. |
Over $50 million is being invested in Phases 2 and 3 of RapidBus in 2013 and 2014 with infrastructure being completed in West Kelowna and Kelowna.
The Rutland Exchange is located just north of Highway 33 and between Asher and Dougall Roads. It is a small part of the grand Rutland Town Centre Plan.
Phase 1 of the exchange was completed in September 2013 and currently only the #14 Black Mountain services it. To have routes 8 and 10 service the exchange at this time would be cumbersome and unnecessary.
The future plan, pending negotiations with he Rutland Centennial Park Society, is to extend the exchange and its road, through the park to Rutland Road to allow easy left and right turns onto Rutland Road. At this time, the 8 University, 10 North Rutland, and a potential East Rutland route will be able to service it.
New stations have been constructed on Highway 97 at Gordon Drive, Richter Street, and Butt Road. They are a level-boarding design, similar to the 8 other currently existing stations. With the announcement of the six-laning of Highway 97 from Highway 33 to Edwards Road and the reconfiguration of the Old Vernon/Sexsmith Intersection, a RapidBus Station may be constructed as well as part of the design.
The new exchange will be built on Elliott Road with saw-toothed bays as part of a larger Westbank Town Centre revitalization. This will move the exchange off of the busy Highway 97 couplet and make way for a potential elimination of the couplet altogether through the Westbank Town Centre.
This exchange will replace Stevens Exchange and will be located in the vicinity of Bartley Road and Highway 97. More precisely, it will be located in the field next to the Super 8 on Westgate Road, and will include a Park n' Ride facility. Eastbound buses will pull in directly off the highway (similar to the RapidBus stations in Kelowna) and Westbound buses will route along Westgate Road to a similar RapidBus station. At implementation, the select few 97 Express trips along Ross and Cameron will likely stay on Highway 97 to make for routing reliability.
When Queensway Exchange was built in 1998, underground utilities were installed for the construction of a future building on the transit island. The vision is to build a building down the middle which can include waiting areas, a security office, and perhaps a coffee shop. The new $5.6 million Queensway transit exchange opened on April 26, 2015, and includes an all-weather wood structure above the existing transit island platform.
Kelowna Regional Transit System is operated under a single zone system within the Regional District of Central Okanagan. A transfer slip is issued upon request, which allows unlimited travel on the system for up to 90 minutes from the time of fare payment. [12]
Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna derives from the Okanagan word kiʔláwnaʔ, referring to a grizzly bear.
Penticton is a city in the Okanagan Valley of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, situated between Okanagan and Skaha lakes. In the 2016 Canadian Census, its population was 33,761, while its census agglomeration population was 43,432.
Okanagan Lake is a lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. The lake is 135 km (84 mi) long, between 4 and 5 km wide, and has a surface area of 348 km2.
The Okanagan, also called the Okanagan Valley and sometimes the Okanagan Country, is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. It is part of the Okanagan Country, extending into the United States as Okanogan County in north-central Washington. According to the 2016 Canadian census, the region's population is 362,258. The largest populated cities are Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon, and West Kelowna.
Highway 97 is a major highway in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is the longest continuously numbered route in the province, running 2,081 km (1,293 mi) and is the only route that runs the entire north–south length of British Columbia, connecting the Canada–United States border near Osoyoos in the south to the British Columbia–Yukon boundary in the north at Watson Lake, Yukon.
Princeton is a town municipality in the Similkameen area of southern British Columbia, Canada. The former mining and railway hub lies at the confluence of the Tulameen into the Similkameen River, just east of the Cascade Mountains. It is at the junction of BC Highway 3 and 5A.
Kelowna International Airport is a Canadian airport located approximately 10 minutes or 6.2 nautical miles northeast of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, on Highway 97.
BC Transit is a provincial Crown corporation responsible for coordinating the delivery of public transportation within British Columbia, Canada, outside Greater Vancouver. BC Transit is headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 26,377,500, or about 108,500 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
Lake Country is a district municipality with a population of approximately 15,000 in the Okanagan Valley region of British Columbia, Canada. It is a part of the Central Okanagan Regional District, and of the Kelowna metropolitan area. The city of Kelowna lies to the south, while the city of Vernon lies to the north. As its name suggests, there are a number of lakes in the vicinity of Lake Country, and outside the municipal boundaries in the hills to the east. Okanagan Lake defines the western boundary of the municipality, while the entirety of Wood Lake and the southernmost portion of Kalamalka Lake are encompassed by it.
Keremeos is a village in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The name originated from the Similkameen dialect of the Okanagan language word "Keremeyeus" meaning "creek which cuts its way through the flats" referring to Keremeos Creek which flows down from the Upper Benchlands to the Similkameen River that flows past the village.
The 99 B-Line is an express bus line with bus rapid transit elements in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It travels along Broadway, a major east–west thoroughfare, and connects the University of British Columbia (UBC) to Commercial–Broadway station on the SkyTrain system. It is operated by Coast Mountain Bus Company and funded by TransLink.
The Okanagan Nation Alliance is a First Nations Tribal Council in the Canadian province of British Columbia, spanning the Nicola, Okanagan and Similkameen Districts of the Canadian province of British Columbia and also the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington state of the United States of America. Their territory covers roughly 69,000 km2 in the Canadian Province of British Columbia and also some area of Washington state in the United States of America. The diverse landscape covers deserts, lakes, forests, and grasslands.
The University of British Columbia Okanagan is a campus of the University of British Columbia in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
West Kelowna, formerly known as Westside and colloquially known as Westbank, is a city in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley on the west shore of Okanagan Lake. The city encompasses several neighbourhoods, including Casa Loma, Gellatly, Glenrosa, Lakeview Heights, Shannon Lake, Smith Creek, Rose Valley, Westbank, and West Kelowna Estates. As of 2021, West Kelowna had an estimated population of 36,078.
South Okanagan-Similkameen Transit provides local public, regional, and interregional transportation services in the City of Penticton in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada, and outlying communities, with a fleet of fully accessible low floor transit buses. The system consists of six scheduled routes serving the city, and routes to outlying communities including Summerland, Naramata, Princeton, and Osoyoos.
Dan Albas is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2011 election. He represents the electoral district of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola as a member of the Conservative Party. In the 41st Canadian Parliament, Albas was appointed to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and introduced one piece of legislation, a private members bill called An Act to amend the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act which would allow individuals to import wine from another province for the purpose of personal consumption.
97 Express Kelowna RapidBus or 97 Okanagan is a bus rapid transit line operated by Kelowna Regional Transit System since September 2010 in Central Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada. The service connects UBC Okanagan Exchange, Downtown Kelowna and Westbank Centre. 97X RapidBus offers high speed bus service by utilizing traffic signal priority and HOV lanes on Highway 97.
The Okanagan Regional Library (ORL) system serves the Okanagan region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its administrative headquarters are in Kelowna. The system covers 59,000 square kilometers of area, and serves 360,000 people through 30 branches. ORL was founded in 1936. In 2013, the library held 3.2 million physical items. The library is largely funded through tax revenues from four administrative areas, the Regional District of North Okanagan, the Regional District of Central Okanagan, the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District, and the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen. It also receives funding from the provincial and federal governments.
BC Transit Health Connections or simply Health Connections are a supplementary interregional public transit bus service provided by BC Transit in various communities throughout the province of British Columbia. While, as the title implies, the scheduled services are geared towards passengers needing to reach an urban centre for health reasons, all are able to use the service if space allows.