One more 'yes' vote is required from the RDN board to ensure public bus service between Nanaimo and Duncan. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

all aboard

Public bus service between Nanaimo and Duncan set for approval

Mar 12, 2020 | 1:32 PM

NANAIMO — Plans are heating up to link Nanaimo and Duncan by bus.

The Regional District of Nanaimo board is scheduled to vote on advancing the initiative later this month, which was endorsed by Cowichan Valley Regional District board of directors on Wednesday.

Interregional service could begin as early as September, 2021, Aaron Thompson with BC Transit told the district’s transit select committee on Thursday, March 12.

Public engagement, through a mix of in-person open houses and an online survey, is slated to begin at the end of March.

“We’ll consult on the key information related to the service span, the key travel times, the main destinations and also getting feedback on what is the appropriate fare for the service,” Thompson told the committee during a power point presentation.

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Public engagement results are expected to be revealed to the board at its May 26 meeting.

Numerous details still need to be ironed out, including how many round trips and stops would be made between Nanaimo and downtown Duncan.

“The service would be a limited stop route to improve travel time and make it an attractive alternative to the private automobile,” a staff report said.

The start and end points for the service would be either the Nanaimo VIU campus or the downtown transit exchange on Front St.

A BC Transit document showed 53 per cent of the costs would be shouldered by the Nanaimo and Cowichan Valley regional districts with BC Transit covering the rest.

A formal governance structure between the regional districts would need to be brokered to make decisions, resolve disputes and fund the service.

Linking bus service between Nanaimo and areas outside the mid island region was listed as a goal in the 25-year RDN Transit Future Plan endorsed in 2014.

Public bus service already exists between downtown Duncan and downtown Victoria.

In January RDN bus service began between downtown Nanaimo and Nanaimo Airport and Cassidy.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes