Low ridership has led to the cancellation of the and the Langford trolley, both of which operated as a public-private partnership between the City of Langford and Wilsons Transportation.
The LangtoriaB次元官网网址檚 18 riders were informed of the decision through a letter this morning. The line will continue until the end of June so that riders can make other transportation plans.
The service began last fall and hoped to give commuters a luxurious option for their commute, offering free WiFi and coffee on a coach bus.
But by the end of 2016, ridership levels were such that the City was subsidizing the service to the tune of $20.83 per rider per day. The overall budget for the Langtoria was $60,000 per year.
B次元官网网址淲e gave the Langtoria service a very good try. We were trying to give people travel options because of the (Colwood) Crawl and knowing that the McKenzie interchange was going in and would cause considerably more traffic tie-ups,B次元官网网址� said Coun. Lillian Szpak.
The failed experiment signaled that speed, and not necessarily comfort, would be the deciding factor in terms of getting people out of their cars, according to Szpak.
B次元官网网址淚f folks are sitting in the traffic and itB次元官网网址檚 taking the same amount of time or even slower because thereB次元官网网址檚 no dedicated transit lane, they might just as well take a city bus or get in their car,B次元官网网址� she said.
The trolley began operation 10 years ago, although its service levels have slowed in recent years in response to increased service levels from B.C. Transit. Its fares were collected by donation, with much of the revenue coming through advertising.
B次元官网网址淚t was (initiated) to fill a gap in affordable and accessible transit options, because at that time BC Transit wasnB次元官网网址檛 as good as it is now,B次元官网网址� she said, noting that public transportation service levels have increased by 76 per cent since that time.
Still, both services were well-received by riders, Szpak noted.
B次元官网网址淲ith these kinds of things youB次元官网网址檙e always going to have people who were dedicated users to it. DonB次元官网网址檛 forget that there were 18 people on the Langtoria line that will really miss this bus.B次元官网网址�
The City will continue to look at travel choices for its residents, Szpak said, including commuter rail along the E&N corridor and dedicated bus lanes to and from the West Shore.
In March, the provincial government announced it was taking a closer look at a commuter rail service that could take riders from LangfordB次元官网网址檚 Westhills neighbourhood to Vic West.
joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com
Twitter:
