Through two separate surveys the Prince Rupert’s Green Advisory Task Force II is seeking input on public transit and cycling. This week members of the task force brought copies of the surveys to City Council and said the group plans to roll out the surveys in the next few months.
“Our goal is to improve opportunities for alternative transportation and mobility,” said Devlin Fernandes.
“We participated in the forum that City Council held at the Civic Centre in November where we had a really great discussion and members of the community were able to share their thoughts and comments both on our activities and what their concerns were around transportation and around greenhouse gas reduction.”
During February and March, the task force will conduct the transit survey. It’s a short survey and focuses on bus times, days and whether riders would like to see the bus go out to Ridley Island and/or the Industrial Park.
And if the bus went to the recycling depot, would they use it to recycle?
Fernandes told council each year B.C. Transit selects a number of communities in the province to review making changes in transit and Rupert has been selected as one of those communities in 2011.
“This is one way we felt we could utilize the Green Advisory Task Force to collect input from community members and make recommendations,” she said.
Once the weather improves in March and April, the task force will switch its focus to the cycling survey.
“Our intent is to collect feedback to form recommendations on how to provide a safer and more enjoyable cycling environment and to encourage more people to cycle,” Fernandes explained.
In addition, residents will be asked to respond a proposed bike route the task force has developed.
Both surveys will be posted on the City’s website and made available in hard copy at the Prince Rupert Library, Hecate Strait Employment and Development Society and at Farwest Sports and Cycle.
“We would like to report back to Council in the spring with the feedback we have received on the surveys,” Fernandes said.
Presently there are eight members on the task force, co-chaired by Councillors Joy Thorkelson and Anna Ashley.