Sea to Sky officials disappointed with Greyhound cuts

Officials in the Sea to Sky Corridor are disappointed with cuts to the region’s Greyhound Service.

On February 21st the Passenger Transportation Board (PTB) approved a number of service reductions and cancellations to Greyhound Canada routes in the province. Locally the public will see a reduction in service between Vancouver and Pemberton, as well as the cancellation of some stops along the route.

Mount Currie will no longer be serviced by Greyhound, and the UBC-Whistler route has also been completely cut. The Vancouver-Pemberton route will no longer make stops in West Vancouver, Britannia Beach or Pinecrest / Black Tusk.

In a joint press release leaders of the communities affected voiced their disappointment on the news. Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman said the PTB approved cutbacks counter regional efforts to enhance transit throughout the Corridor and to Vancouver. Richman says they will be expressing their concerns to the PTB and the Province on the matter.

Squamish Lillooet Regional District Board Chair Jack Crompton said the decision makes their efforts to develop a viable regional transit model even more urgent; “Convenient, reliable, safe and affordable regional transportation options are vital to support liveable communities, a healthy environment, and the economic success of the region”.

The joint press release noted although there are other transit options in the Sea to Sky corridor, none are ‘commuter-type services’ but rather services focused on visitors, with schedules that change by season.

Mayors of Squamish and Whistler also weighed in on the discussion, with Whistler Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden saying the changes “essentially rule Greyhound out as a commuter option for people in the region”. Squamish Mayor Patricia Henitzman called on the Province to proactively work to “fast track funding and implementation of a proper public transit service” in the region.

Officials from the District of Squamish, Squamish Nation, Resort Municipality of Whistler, Lil’wat Nation, Village of Pemberton and Squamish-Lillooet Regional District plan on meeting with the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure to ‘accelerate discussions toward regional transit solutions’.

Greyhound has sighted a 46% drop in ridership across B.C. as one of the factors of the decision. Route changes will come into effect on June 1st, however some changes could come earlier. The company is only required to give two weeks notice regarding route changes.