n ew s
2 n TIMESReview n Wednesday, FEBRUARY 26, 2014
Columbia Shuswap Regional District Notice of rescheduled PUBLIC HEARING Electoral Area ‘B’ Official Community Plan Amendment (CSRD) Bylaw No. 850-1 What Is Electoral Area ‘B’ Official Community Plan Amendment (CSRD) Bylaw No. 850-1? The primary purpose of Bylaw No. 850-1 is to incorporate Climate Change objectives and policies into the Electoral Area ‘B’ Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 850 as required by the Local Government Act and as a result of the CSRD Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Strategy. Bylaw No. 850-1 also proposes some additional text amendments and updates to provide clarification and consistency with other documents. Map amendments are also proposed to replace the existing mapping with more accurate mapping which is in a format consistent with other CSRD Official Community Plans (OCPs).
www.revelstoketimesreview.com
Costs up, ridership down on Revelstoke transit
BC Transit to present on results of new three-route system, which includes positive and negative change
In this file photo taken during the snowstorms over the past weeks, a tow truck helps the BC Transit bus out of a jam after deep snows grounded the public transit service. Amanada Hathorn photo Aaron Orlando
editor@revelstoketimesreview.com
Electoral Area ‘B’ OCP Coverage
When? Where?
Bylaw 850-1 will be presented on March 3rd, 2014: • 12:00 pm (noon), at the Trout Lake Community Hall, 544 Westside Rd. Trout Lake, BC; and • 7:00 pm, at the Revelstoke Community Centre 600 Campbell Ave. Revelstoke, BC.
Who should attend?
Anyone who believes that their interest in property is affected by the proposed bylaw shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to be heard or to present written submissions respecting matters contained in the Bylaw at the Public Hearing.
How do I send a written submission?
A copy of Bylaw No. 850-1 and all reports, plans and other documents that have been or will be considered by the Board of the Regional District is available for inspection at the offices of: • Columbia Shuswap Regional District - 781 Marine Park Drive, NE, Salmon Arm, BC (9:00 AM - 4:00 PM) • City of Revelstoke - 216 Mackenzie Ave., Revelstoke, BC (8:30 AM – 4:30 PM) until February 28, 2014 but excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays. Bylaw No. 850-1 is also available from the CSRD website: www.csrd. bc.ca
Who can I speak Jan Thingsted, Planner | Development Services to about these Columbia Shuswap Regional District bylaws? T: 250-833-5918 E: jthingsted@csrd.bc.ca
Visit our website at www.csrd.bc.ca 781 Marine Park Dr. NE Salmon Arm • PO Box 978 V1E 4P1 250-832-8194 Toll Free 1-888-248-2773
About a year after transit routes in Revelstoke were rejigged, costs are up and ridership is down. Total ridership in 2013 was 21,387 riders, down from 23,089 in 2012. Net local cost – the amount Revelstoke pays after BC Transit covers about half the cost – is up. It was $170,284 in the 2012/13 budget, and has increased to $227,954 in the 2013/14 budget. That’s a 34-per-cent increase. Ryan Little, Regional Transit Manager for BC Transit, will provide an update to city council on Feb. 25, and will seek to explain the results of the revised transit system. Little admits the numbers aren’t ideal: “They’re not great,” he said. But these bottom-line numbers don’t tell the whole story. Service hours have increased by 13 per cent, and revenues are up by 37 per cent. Conventional ridership is actu-
ally up by two-per-cent, while other types of ridership are down. Health Connection rides have dropped by 14 per cent, and handyDART rides have dropped by 47 per cent. This suggests, in part, that more people are using the new three-route conventional system, while fewer take the handyDART. But there are other reasons handyDART ridership has suffered. Little said BC Transit is responding to the drop in handyDART ridership by changing the service’s hours, eliminating a two-hour mid-day break between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to make the hours 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. starting Feb. 1. A review of the transit system was mentioned in passing during the city’s budget process. Little said BC Transit’s financial commitment to the system will remain. In late 2012, a new, threeroute system replaced the older two-route system. Riders complained that the older system was far too circuitous; it took too long to get from A to B in Revelstoke
because the buses scoured too many sidestreets for riders. In his presentation, Little will discuss comparisons with other similar communities, but he cautioned it’s difficult to make direct comparisons. For example, he said HandyDART service is costly; comparing Revelstoke with another community that doesn’t have the service isn’t fair. He noted Revelstokians aren’t the only ones who observe and comment on the phenomenon of frequently empty buses. “We hear that in every community where there’s transit,” Little said. It boils down to economics; maintaining the schedule during non-peak hours works out to be more efficient than trying to run short shifts. The changes don’t factor in the biggest shift in transit ridership in Revelstoke: the popular ski shuttle to RMR is not part of BC Transit system. The City of Revelstoke had expected cost increases with the new three-route system, but it was hoped the new routes and a new bus would boost ridership.
Thank You RevelsToke Thanks to everyone who came out to help support Kendra and her family - with all your generosity we were able to raise just over $8400 at the Coopers event!! Thanks also to the following businesses and organisations for their support. Coopers Foods for hosting the fundraiser and Westjet Sutton Place Selkirk Tangiers Revelstoke Mountain Resort Epicure - Lindsay McIntyre U-Brew Carrie's Cafe Beth Purser Massage Younique - Tamara Scholts Dayna Van Overbeke Cherie Van Overbeke Hillcrest Hotel Touch of Elegance
Roberta's Tanning Mary Kay - Ellen Hatlevik Jessica Stewardson Photography Revelstoke Boxing Club Rockford Sentsy - Carlee Dillman Eminence - Melanie Nelson Jessica Ploeger Skytrek Adventure Park Dave Rooney Enchanted Forrest Donna Naprstek Trans Canada Fitness Thunderbird Massage Refinery Day Spa Three Valley Chateau
Chantilly Kitchen Bed n Bath Padrinos Pizza Main Street Cafe Crystal Federico Revelstoke Cable Tupperware Elks Rotary Revelstoke Credit Union Revelstoke Theater Company Battersby Plumbing Revelstoke Times Review The Revelstoke Current EZ Rock Stoke FM