Long-awaited plans for a new park-and-ride facility in Pemberton are about to be put into action.
Site clearing for the project on Portage Road, east of Signal Hill Elementary, is already underway, with a request for proposals to come this month.
The Village of Pemberton (VOP) received just over $1.8 million for the project through the province’s Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Program in 2022.
When completed, the hub will include a 50-car parking lot, washroom and change room facilities, water fountains, bike storage, garbage receptacles, and electric-vehicle chargers.
Available to commuters seven days a week, 365 days a year, the parking lot facility will also be available for ride sharing and regional transit use, and plans include bays for BC Transit buses as a second phase to the project—if funding allows.
The VOP is in active discussions with regional partners and BC Transit to increase bus service, the village said.
“The Multi-Modal Transportation Hub project not only supports our advocacy for improved transit options but also supports our efforts to advance plan for the future of transit use,” the VOP said on Facebook. “In providing essential infrastructure for our community, this hub will enable us to accommodate expanded regional and local transit solutions, ultimately contributing to a more accessible and efficient transportation network that serves our community needs.”
Options for access were explored as the project developed, including sharing access with the new l’École de Valée building.
At a Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 23, manager of finance, Thomas Sikora, noted there are two phases to the project, and the funding received so far will only cover the first phase.
“BC Transit really likes this idea. We are really pushing for it,” he said, noting the second phase nearly doubles the size of the initial project, and the total project cost is upwards of $3 million.
“We have $1.8 million from the grant. We phased it. We proposed building as much as we can using the grant,” he said. “We are still trying to plan it so we can build this bus shelter, bus loop etc., that would connect to the French school.”
Sikora added BC Transit is eager to improve transport in the area, and to have buses running even past Pemberton.
“They want buses to go the whole way up D’Arcy,” he said. “Transport has been a big topic for council and for the region. We thought we better design something with future capacity.”
Councillor Katrina Nightingale commended the “relentless” work Sikora has done on the project, and asked if it is possible to prioritize the bus bays ahead of everything else.
“Part of our problem is that we have the money for the multi-modal transport hub but we can’t increase our services because we don’t have the right infrastructure,” she said. “Is there a possibility about having the bays put in first, ahead of the parking area?”
Sikora explained the grant has to be specifically used for the original parking lot and hub plans.
Meanwhile, Pemberton is set to get a new bus for the Route 99 Pemberton commuter to Whistler. Senior media relations and public affairs advisor Jamie Weiss confirmed funding for the project is approved, with further details on the 2024-25 expansion to come in the near future.
Weiss said BC Transit will continue to work with the VOP on plans for the multi-modal transport hub and all potential future service improvements.
“BC Transit is pleased to hear that the Village of Pemberton has secured funding for a future multi-modal transportation hub on Portage Road,” he said. “This infrastructure will improve future access to public transit in the community and support integration with other modes of transportation.”
