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Residents pumped about transit pilot

Turner Valley citizens say they look forward to a two-year pilot project that will bring public transit to their community.

Turner Valley citizens say they look forward to a two-year pilot project that will bring public transit to their community.

More than 25 people learned the details of the Calgary Regional Partnerships’ (CRP) On-it weekday regional transit system during a public consultation session at the Sheep River Library on Oct. 26.

The project would see buses link Okotoks, Black Diamond, Turner Valley, High River and Nanton to Calgary’s most southerly LRT station, Somerset-Bridlewood, from September 2016 to August 2018.

“It’s good that they are starting this,” said Bev Goble. “We’ve needed it for some time.”

Black Diamond and Turner Valley Town councils agreed to participate in the pilot project earlier this month.

The Towns will be required to cover the cost of bus stop infrastructure and additional expenses beyond the CRP’s $500,000 committment, which will be funded by the Province.

Ettore Iannacito, CRP regional transportation manager, said the transit system is about addressing growing traffic levels.

“The main goal is planning for growth,” he said, adding the population in the region is expected to triple in 60 years.

“We’ve got to find a way that addresses a smart growth plan and one of the issues is transportation. Our vision is to create a lifestyle, a culture around it.”

The pilot proposes one stop in Turner Valley departing at 6:15 a.m. and 7:15 a.m. and two in Black Diamond about 10 minutes later and arriving at the south LRT station about an hour later.

The buses are proposed to arrive back in Black Diamond in the evening at around 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. and about 10 minutes later in Turner Valley.

The estimated time of travel is 20 minutes from Black Diamond to Okotoks and an additional seven minutes from Turner Valley.

Riders can take an express bus with two stops in Okotoks or the local bus with eight Okotoks stops, said Iannacito.

The proposed fares are $4 to $6 one way from Black Diamond and Turner Valley to Okotoks or $10 to $14 to the Somerset LRT station in Calgary.

People will still need to pay Calgary Transit fares of $3.15 for adults to travel further into the city on the LRT.

“We are hoping people give us feedback and say what works for them and what doesn’t,” Iannacito said.

Turner Valley resident Teagan Bender, who works locally and doesn’t own a vehicle due to the high expense, sees the pilot project as an opportunity to get to Okotoks and Calgary more often.

“If I decided to go to school it’s another option available to me,” she said. “It’s a pretty thought-out system. It not only allows people from our community to go to Okotoks and Calgary but brings people from Calgary to our community.”

Bender said she likes the proposed times and that the pilot project takes place for two years.

“It’s a long enough period of time so people get to know about it and try it for themselves,” she said.

Resident Don Thomson said while he can’t see himself using the bus every day, it provides an option for trips to the Calgary Stampede, where he frequently takes the LRT.

“To park it’s $15 for half an hour or an hour,” he said. “It would still be less than parking.”

Dona Fluter, Black Diamond council’s representative on the CRP transportation steering committee and pilot program, said On-it is just the beginning.

“We are going to grow this,” she said. “We’ll start with a basic transit and go from there.”

Fluter said with the population in the region constantly growing, public transit makes sense.

“If 1.7 million people move to Calgary and region in the next 50 years think of how many vehicles will be on the road,” she said. “The whole point of the On-it project is transit that connections one community to another. We want to get our people around.”

Those interested in providing input to the pilot project can complete a survey by Nov. 30 at onitregionaltransit.com

Another public consultation session will be held at the Black Diamond Town office Nov. 10 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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