BC Transit has announced significant service expansions and adjustments starting next week (Jan. 6), including the addition of three weekday trips on Route 98 that reach into Tadanac, and changes to several regional routes.
Among the key updates:
• Route 98 Columbia, three service times, in each direction, every weekday into the Tadanac neighbourhood (12:13 p.m., 3:25 p.m. and 4:23 p.m.);
• Route 10 North Shore, the 4:04 p.m. trip to Six Mile has been extended to the Balfour Ferry Terminal;
• Route 52 Nakusp-Slocan, now includes service to the New Denver Health Centre;
• Route 53 Nakusp-Edgewood, additional adjustments have been made to enhance service reliability.
BC Transit and its regional partners in the Kootenay Boundary and Central Kootenay areas said schedule adjustments across several routes have been made to improve connections and reliability.
“This service expansion has been made possible by an increase in local government and provincial funding,” BC Transit and its partners stated. “The operating grant provided in the 2024-25 provincial budget will allow BC Transit and its local government partners to continue to provide safe and reliable service and demonstrates that public transit remains a priority in our communities.”
West Kootenay Transit serves a wide range of communities, including Trail, Castlegar, Nelson, and their surrounding areas.
Fixed-route services are organized into four primary zones: Trail area, includes Trail, Rossland, and Fruitvale; regional connector Routes 98 and 99; Castlegar area, local service in and around Castlegar; Nelson area, covering Nelson, Balfour, Blewett, Salmo, Kaslo, and Argenta. and the Slocan area, which includes Playmor Junction, Winlaw, Slocan City, Nakusp, and Edgewood.
Specialized transit options are available to meet specific needs: Health Connections, accessible transportation for non-emergency medical appointments, available by booking; paratransit services, a flexible local service for smaller communities near Nakusp and Kaslo, available by booking; and handyDART, which is door-to-door shared transportation for individuals unable to use fixed-route services.
West Kootenay Transit is jointly funded by the Regional District of Central Kootenay, the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, the City of Nelson, and BC Transit. Health Connections service is funded by the Interior Health Authority.
Decisions on fares, routes, and service levels are made by local governments, guided by recommendations from the West Kootenay Transit Committee. This committee, composed of local government representatives, considers public feedback and data from BC Transit.
Transit operations are handled by the City of Nelson and PW Transit.
