BC Transit will soon engage Trail residents to get their thoughts on a new transit exchange location.
A delegation from BC Transit approached the Governance and Operations Committee on Oct. 12 to move forward with the planning process of expanding the transit exchange in downtown Trail.
“There is a transit future plan for Trail as part of the West Kootenay transit future plan,” said senior transit planner James Wadsworth. “We know there is a need for a new transit exchange to improve customer amenities, we know that we need more space in the future if we want to add bus routes and transit service levels to the system. And it’ss an opportunity to improve the downtown, enhance the sidewalks and make the transit area a nicer place.”
The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) and BC Transit are taking advantage of an Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program opportunity where the federal and provincial governments split 80 per cent of the costs to improve transit infrastructure.
The project has progressed locally and Wadsworth invited council to make a motion regarding three options for the new exchange targeted for downtown Trail.
The first option was along the west side of Bay Avenue, turning onto the north side of Eldorado Street; option 2 was on the west side of Cedar Avenue turning onto Eldorado Street just behind Ferraro Foods; and the third option was to make improvements to the current location at Cedar Avenue and Helena Street by Selkirk College.
Wadsworth pointed out that the new exchange would improve the space needed for buses, enhance passenger amenities such as shelters, benches, bike racks and landscaping, and the possible inclusion of public washrooms, which were not covered by the program.
The cost of the first option on Bay Avenue was the least expensive coming in at $700,000 or $900,000 with a public washroom included. Option 2 would cost about $1.3M or $1.5M with washroom, while the current location, option 3, would cost about $1M or $1.2M with the flushing amenity.
Coun. Robert Cacchioni confirmed that the extra 20 per cent would be paid through the RDKB and dam revenues.
“We even may still be able to negotiate the public washroom through the dam revenues, and that’s the last negotiating point we need to do, so all the costs will be covered to the City of Trail,” said Cacchioni.
After recommendations from BC Transit and city staff, council narrowed the possibilities down, excluding the least expensive first option.
The report ranked option 2 the most optimal location, followed by option 3.
Council voted unanimously, “That BC Transit be directed to proceed with a public consultation process on options 2 and 3 identified as potential locations for the downtown transit exchange.”