The operator thanked customers for their long-time use of the service, noting it regrets the need to end the commuter routes after decades of operation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Preparing to adjust commute<\/p>\n
Matt Burlet is among the commuters now planning how he will get to downtown Calgary for work.<\/p>\n
Having moved to Cochrane about a year ago from Calgary, he said the commuter service was a key factor in their decision to move here because of the direct connection it provided to his workplace just a block from the downtown drop-off.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was one of the benefits, attractions, if you will, of moving to Cochrane that there was a regional transportation system. It made the decision to move easier because it was all this service exists, it comes downtown, this is great. A year later, not so great for sure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand it\u2019s a business and if they\u2019re not making money, but it\u2019s a loss to the community. It\u2019s going to be the same for the Okotoks people,\u201d he added, referencing another commuter service also being cut.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t blame anyone,\u201d Burlet said.<\/p>\n
Burlet says the service offered both convenience and peace of mind, especially during recent severe weather.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was so nice about the bus service, and particularly in the past month with the severe snowstorms, it\u2019s nice not to drive. It\u2019s nice to have a professional driver. It was nice to feel safe. So that to me was one of the main benefits\u2014safety, convenience,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He now says he is weighing options including carpooling, using a CTrain park-and-ride, or driving himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just one of these quirky things with living in a bedroom community,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause I say the quality of life in Cochrane has been extremely good and we\u2019re so glad we\u2019ve moved out there. But little speed bumps like this are the type of thing you\u2019ve got to be prepared to deal with.\u201d<\/p>\n
He believes continued growth in Cochrane will drive the return of regional transit.<\/p>\n
What’s the tipping point?<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you look at new neighbourhoods like Southbow Landing, all those people aren\u2019t working in Cochrane. So many people come to Calgary for work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike, what\u2019s the tipping point where regional transportation will make a comeback? Nature abhors a vacuum. There is a demand. Whether it\u2019s maybe something Calgary Transit would figure out and start a bus service, or maybe that train system they keep talking about\u2014if you had a train that stopped in Cochrane\u2026 the bigger picture is out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
The news was brought before Cochrane town council Monday night, where it was determined the municipality will not pursue a municipally operated replacement service.<\/p>\n
ROAM Transit reviewing impact<\/p>\n
News of the discontinuation of On-It\u2019s Calgary-to-Canmore and Banff service this summer was received prior to the Cochrane announcement, adding further uncertainty to regional transit connections ahead of the busy travel season.<\/p>\n
ROAM Transit, which operates public transportation in Banff and Canmore, says it is now reviewing the impact of the loss of the intercity link, noting it remains unclear whether or when a replacement service to Calgary will be established.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Clear end dates have now been set for the Cochrane-Calgary commuter service, with operators confirming the long-running route…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":622013,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194293],"tags":[49,2798,48],"class_list":{"0":"post-622012","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-calgary","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-calgary","10":"tag-canada"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622012","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=622012"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622012\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/622013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=622012"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=622012"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=622012"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}