Skip to content

Regional District of Nanaimo keen on having transit service betwen District 69 and Comox Valley

Board approves continued discussion with other regional districts
28015285_web1_220209-PQN-Northern-Transit-Service-Transit_1
(PQB News photo)

The Regional District of Nanaimo is keen on the idea of establishing a northern transit service connection linking District 69 and the Comox Valley.

The transit select committee, at its meeting Jan. 27, approved a staff recommendation to the RDN board to continue discussions with the Comox Valley Regional District and the Strathcona Regional District to explore transit connection between regions. And also to request BC Transit initiate service planning and related actions required to establish an inter-regional public transit.

The CVRD and the RDN identified inter-regional transit service as a medium- to longterm priority in the 2014 transit future plan.

The plan is to provide bus transit between the Comox Valley and District 69, to reduce the use of private vehicles travelling between the two regions. The link also extends to Campbell River as the Strathcona Regional District and the CVRD already provides transit services at the Oyster River bus stop.

READ MORE: Electric bus on trial run serving Victoria-to-Nanaimo route

The approximate timeline to achieve this goal is to first identify service priority through the 2022 transit future action plan. This will be followed by a BC Transit-led planning and analysis in 2023 that would lead to formalized agreements and BC Transit Improvement Program be established in 2024 and implementation of the new service in 2025.

The RDN Transit Select Committee also approved staff recommendation for the board to endorse the memorandum of understanding between the RDN, Cowichan Valley Regional District and BC Transit for the Nanaimo-Cowichan Express inter-regional transit service (NCX), commencing in March 2022.

The new transit service will link Nanaimo and Cowichan Valley. The route will include seven stops that are still being finalized by both municipalities. They include downtown Nanaimo, South Parkway Plaza, Nanaimo Airport, Ladysmith, Cowichan Commons, Beverly Street at Canada Avenue (VIU Cowichan), downtown Duncan and Village Green Mall.

The frequency of the service and scheduling are also being finalized. One option includes seven roundtrips Monday to Friday, six trips on Saturday and no trips on Sunday.

A connection between the NCX and the Cowichan Valley Commuter service on weekdays is proposed for an early morning trip to Victoria and a corresponding return trip, as are potential connections between the NCX and the Saturday Route 44 Victoria/Duncan.

Michael.Briones@pqbnews.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter 



Michael Briones

About the Author: Michael Briones

I rejoined the PQB News team in April 2017 from the Comox Valley Echo, having previously covered sports for The NEWS in 1997.
Read more