Students and staff at Camosun College who live on the West Shore now have a new, convenient and sustainable ride option to get to the Interurban campus.
The Westshore Commuter Express is a 35-foot electric bus that can accommodate 30 passengers, two wheelchairs and two bicycles. It creates zero emissions and is part of the college’s transportation demand management strategy which aims to get people out of single occupancy vehicles and move them towards a more sustainable way of travelling.
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The bus service is also free to Camosun College students and staff members.
“We’re trying to give people varied, affordable transportation options that are good for them and the community,” said Maria Bremner, manager of the Office of Sustainability, Transportation and Parking at Camosun College.
The first bus ride took place on Sept. 3, transporting 10 passengers from the West Shore to Camosun College.
The shuttle bus has stops at the Langford Exchange, Westhills Exchange, Westshore Town Centre and the Colwood Exchange before arriving at Camosun’s Interurban campus. It leaves the first stop at about 7:15 a.m. and gets to campus by 8:10 a.m., giving passengers plenty of time to make it to their first 8:30 a.m. class.
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The bus leaves campus at 4:40 p.m. and drops people off at its final stop by about 5:30 p.m.
Bremner said nearly one quarter of students at Camosun College live on the West Shore, so this bus is a great way to connect the campus to the western communities.
“The West Shore is growing exponentially every year as people seek more affordable places to live in the region and with new people moving to the Capital Regional District,” Bremner said. “[The bus] is a way to give our Camosun students and staff easy access to the West Shore.”
A full schedule for the bus can be found on Camosun’s website.
shalu.mehta@goldstreamgazette.com