Over 32,000 passengers were on the NCX route in its first year, and the RDN says that number may rise by as much as 12,000 additional passengers per year. (file photo)

By Jordan Davidson

important link

Nanaimo to Cowichan Express route yielding positive rider results after first year

Jul 27, 2023 | 4:28 PM

NANAIMO — Following its first year of being active, the Nanaimo Cowichan Express (NCX) transit link is meeting expectations.

The daily transit link between Nanaimo and Duncan launched in March 2022, and since then has carried over 32,000 passengers in that time, which totals about 5.4 riders per hour.

A progress report was provided during the RDN’s Thursday, July 27th Transit Select Committee meeting, a requirement laid out by BC Transit after the first year of service.

The limited-stop service connects the communities of Nanaimo, Cedar, Cassidy, Ladysmith, North Cowichan and Duncan, with funding split between BC Transit, the RDN, and Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD).

Information about the route was gathered through a variety of methods, including 232 completed online surveys, and four responses gathered by transit operators.

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Of those completed surveys, 70 per cent of frequent riders used the service primarily for work or university/college purposes, followed by 13 per cent for running errands, and 13 per cent for leisure.

Increasing the frequency of trips during the week and adding a connection to Victoria were identified as areas for improvement.

Other key items mentioned for future review included introducing a Sunday service, making it easier for riders to find connections to places like Victoria and other destinations within the RDN, and expanding the service to Chemainus.

Adding destinations within Nanaimo such as VIU, Nanaimo Regional General Hospital or the Duke Point ferry terminal will also be explored.

BC Transit will be leading a fare review this fall, although they say it was not made a priority based on public engagement. They’ll also be reviewing the stopping policy to allow riders to get off and on at all stops on their route.

There are eight stops in total in each direction, with seven round trips on weekdays and six round trips on Saturdays.

The most used of the stops was the Downtown Nanaimo Exchange at Port Place Shopping Centre.

Three out of the route’s eight stops are within the RDN, and account for more stop activity compared to the CVRD.

More information on this report can be found here at the RDN website.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow