BC Transit Health Connections

BC Transit Health Connections or simply Health Connections are a supplementary interregional public transit bus service provided by BC Transit in various communities throughout the province of British Columbia. While, as the title implies, the scheduled services are geared towards passengers needing to reach an urban centre for health reasons, all are able to use the service if space allows.[1]

BC Transit Health Connections
LocaleBritish Columbia
Service typebus service, paratransit, intercity bus
AllianceBC Transit
Fuel typeDiesel

Operations

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BC Transit Health Connections services in October 2019. This map does not show other BC Transit Intercity services.

Health connections buses are marked BC Transit buses. While they operate on a fixed schedule along a fixed route (with exceptions), no number designation is given to the buses and they are generally not listed in local transit guides, timetables or on departure boards. Like other BC Transit services, Health Connections buses are operated by a contracted operator and not by BC Transit itself. The services are funded in part by the provincial government as a complement to the Travel Assistance Program.[2] In February 2020, BC Transit announced that no direct connection between Logan Lake and Kamloops would be maintained after that March, with all services routing direct to Merritt instead.[3]

Service and routing

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Health Connections operate within and between various transit systems already served by BC Transit, and sometimes parallel existing routes on a different schedule. Nearly all Health Connections operate on only select days or the week, while others only operate on demand. The routes are the only passenger transportation available to some major communities that are currently lacking in any form of intercity bus.[4][5]

Route name Communities served enroute Notes
100 Mile House/Williams Lake 100 Mile House, Williams Lake[6]
Creston/Cranbrook Creston, Cranbrook[7]
Elkford/Cranbrook Elkford, Sparwood, Fernie, Cranbrook[8]
Golden/Cranbrook Golden, Invermere, Cranbrook[9]
Kamloops/Chase Kamloops, Chase, Pritchard[10]
Kamloops/Lillooet Kamloops, Fountain Valley, Cache Creek, Savona, Kamloops[11]
Kamloops/Logan Lake Kamloops, Logan Lake[12] To be terminated March 4th, 2020.
Kamloops/Logan Lake/Merritt Kamloops, Logan Lake, Merritt[13] Logan Lake will be eliminated from the route on March 4th, 2020.
Kamloops/Logan Lake/Merritt/Kelowna Kamloops, Logan Lake, Merritt, Kelowna[14] Logan Lake will be eliminated from the route on March 4th, 2020.
Kamloops/Lytton Lillooet, Spences Bridge, Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Savona, Kamloops[15]
Kamloops/Revelstoke Kamloops, Chase, Sorrento, Salmon Arm, Sicamous, Revelstoke[16]
Kamloops/Williams Lake Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Clinton, Cache Creek, Kamloops[17]
Kimberley/Cranbrook Kimberley, Cranbrook[18]
Penticton/Princeton Penticton, Olalla, Cawston, Keremeos, Hedley, Princeton, Coalmont[19] Parallels South Okanagan-Similkameen route 50[20]
Penticton/Summerland/Osoyoos Summerland, Penticton, Okanagan Falls, Oliver, Osoyoos Parallels South Okanagan-Similkameen routes 30, 20, and 40[21]
Revelstoke, Kelowna Revelstoke, Sicamous, Enderby, Vernon, Kelowna[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Health Connections". Kamloops Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  2. ^ "Health Connections". Province of British Columbia. Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  3. ^ Petruk, Tim. "Health Connections bus between Kamloops and Logan Lake to be parked". Kamloops This Week. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  4. ^ Wickett, Martha (19 March 2019). "Lack of bus service leaving residents stranded". Summerland Review. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  5. ^ "Still No Bus Service". Black Press. The Williams Lake Tribune. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  6. ^ "100 Mile/Williams Lake". 100 Mile House Regional Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  7. ^ "Creston/Cranbrok". Creston Valley Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  8. ^ "Elkford/Cranbrook". Elk Valley Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  9. ^ "Golden/Cranbrook". Columbia Valley Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  10. ^ "Kamloops/Chase". Kamloops Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Kamloops/Lillooet". Ashcroft-Cache Creek-Clinton Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Kamloops/Logan Lake". Kamloops Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Kamloops/Logan Lake/Merritt". Kamloops Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  14. ^ "Kamloops/Logan Lake/Merritt/Kelowna". Kamloops Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  15. ^ "Kamloops/Lytton". Aschcroft-Cache Creek-Clinton Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  16. ^ "Kamloops/Revelstoke". Kamloops Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  17. ^ "Kamloops/Williams Lake". 100 Mile House Regional Transit System. BC Transit.
  18. ^ "Kimberley/Cranbrook". Cranbrook Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  19. ^ "Princeton/Penticton". South Okanagan-Similkameen Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  20. ^ "Route 50: Penticton/Princeton". South Okanagan-Similkameen Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  21. ^ "Rider's Guide". South Okanagan-Similkameen Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  22. ^ "Revelstoke/Kelowna". Kelowna Regional Transit System. BC Transit. Retrieved 23 September 2019.