BC Transit and the City of Kamloops are set to launch service changes in early 2025 for better access to Tk’emlups.
Route 18 Mt. Paul will be expanding service to introduce service into Tk’emlúps on the weekends, and will have later-evening runs during the weekdays — including stops at Swelaps Market.
“The Mount Paul route is a hugely popular route, but it’s only been running Monday to Friday, so demand has shown that weekend service is needed and later evening service on the weekdays is needed as well,” said Elise Wren, Government Relations Manager for BC Transit in the Kamloops area. “So starting on January 6, we’re making that expansion to offer better service into this area.”
The last run of the day on Route 18 currently starts at 6pm from the Lansdowne Transit Exchange.
The route expansion will add four more hours to that in the evenings, on top of continuing into the weekend on both Saturday and Sunday.
The move is part of a broader initiative, which began with BC Transit expanding handyDART service to Tk’emlups in September.
Wren notes the changes have been under discussion the last couple of years, noting the process does involve approvals from various stakeholders.
“We [BC Transit] work with the city of Kamloops, who in turn works with the Tk’emlups First Nation,” she noted. “BC Transit and [the] City of Kamloops works with the Province as well. All of those four partners come together to make changes happen.”
Current transit stop alignment on Tk’emlups to access the Swelaps Market/via Google Maps
Wren says rider convenience, as well as safety, were key factors in redrawing Route 18.
“We decided, from a safety perspective that it would be great to add a stop there [Swelaps] too for riders to be able to utilize the new grocery store,” said Wren.
Right now the closest bus stop to the Swelaps Market is at Shuswap Road and Chief Alex Thomas Way, which requires Transit users to cross the Yellowhead Highway to get to the grocery store.
The expanded service on Tk’emlups will be paid for by the Band, which covers the cost of transit service into its territory through a partnership with the City of Kamloops.
“Essentially, it’s not costing the City of Kamloops anything,” noted Traffic Engineer Nii Noi Akkueteh with the City. “They tell us what they need, and then they pay for the service.”
In the absence of the Red Bridge, he says discussions are also taking place about additional Transit service to the Mt. Paul Industrial Park.
“Which we are still in talks with to see what this means going forward,” said Akkueteh. “There’s definitely been a need.”
