Public transit use among Grande Prairie youth is up 53 per cent over the rate in September. The increase comes after the city introduced a “Youth Superpass” which grants free, unlimited public transit access for residents 18 and under.
According to Grande Prairie City Councillor Chris Thiessen, public transit accessibility has been front of mind for the past three city councils, and youth usage is one of the biggest indicators that investing in the system is worth it.
“Council has always endeavoured to ensure that youth are utilizing the transit system, that’s the way we grow the system. When we got the report back that it’s 53 per cent of an increase, that’s a great sign; that means our youth are actually utilizing the transit system, and cost isn’t becoming a barrier.”
Thiessen adds that the transit system is still growing, and service adjustments could be in order if demand continues to increase the way it has.
“I think it’s well overdue, a decision council made with administration and obviously we’re reaping the rewards of it by more usage. For me, personally, I’d like to see a circuitous route for transit that would take people kind of like an express bus system to all the major spots in Grande Prairie.”
Council and administration say they will continue to work on improving the efficiency of the current bus system, and annual reviews combined with biannual updates to the system will continue depending on the needs of the community in the future.