On Transit Appreciate Day, Oct. 23, 100 transit riders were pleasantly surprised when a friendly transit ambassador thanked them for riding the bus and offered free gift cards to local cafés.
“We sincerely appreciate and are grateful to everyone that uses transit in the Comox Valley,” says Michael Zbarsky, Manager of Transit and Facilities for the Comox Valley Regional District. “Nearly 13,000 bus trips are taken each week, and we would not have such a robust regional service without these riders.”
Transit riders were approached at the Downtown Transit Exchange, Comox Transit Exchange, Anfield Centre, and on the bus with gift cards. During these interactions, the ambassador asked riders what they loved about taking transit. Courtney loves the bus because it gets her to work on time and she can avoid the high cost of vehicle ownership. And Prabhjeet uses transit to get to college and explore the Comox Valley. Many riders said they love riding the bus because it saves money, the drivers are friendly and the new higher frequency service is convenient.
“Other great benefits of using transit are reduced traffic congestion and reduced environmental impact,” adds Zbarsky. “We love talking to transit riders to find out how the system is working for them, and are committed to making the system better and better.”
The regional transit network is set to expand in 2020 to boost ridership even further. BC Transit will conduct public consultation this winter with details, and to update the Comox Valley transit future plan.
FMI: www.bctransit.com/comox-valley