Something the Drumheller Valley has needed for a long time, is looking to start with a pilot project this summer.
Travel Drumheller, along with the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce and Community Futures Big Country are debuting a summer shuttle bus pilot program. Lana Phillips, Valley Connect Project Manager, shares that the Valley Connect Initiative has two parts. “The Valley Connect Initiative has two parts, the feasibility study and the shuttle bus pilot. Our survey (that came out earlier) was focused on the feasibility portion, going to inform our further exploration of what public transportation could look like in Drumheller, also we used it to consider our shuttle bus pilot.”
The shuttle bus pilot program will run throughout the Drumheller Valley in July and August. Phillips notes that the actual route will be shared at their open house. “It will a hop on, hop off, type service that is going to run weekends on Fridays and Saturdays in the summer. The full details on where it is going to go will be shared at the open house. As well we are going to enable the community to choose the ‘Central’ bus stop, based on three pre-selected locations.”
It is hopeful that this service will benefit local residents, as well many tourists would hopefully utilize the shuttle. “Transportation has been identified both as a need within our community by our residents, and our visitors. From a visitors perspective, if you manage to get here without a car, we are such a long, beautiful, valley that it is pretty hard to conquer with just ‘two feet and a heartbeat’. There is a demonstrated need from a both a visitor and local perspective that transportation could help our community and our economy.”
The Town of Drumheller is very supportive of this pilot project confirms Phillips. “The Town is certainly an active participant in the project and is looking to the results. We presented to Council in mid-January, so they are well looped in on what is happening.”
The open house is coming up on Wednesday, February 25th at the Badlands Community Facility from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. All of the details on the route through the Drumheller Valley as well as the opportunity for residents to vote on one of three locations for the central bus stop will be there.
For more information and to remain updated on all of the latest news about the Valley Connect Project and the Shuttle Bus Pilot Program, visit the Travel Drumheller website.
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