The Town of Blackfalds is making some updates to its BOLT Service to better service overall user’s needs. The changes will be effective Sept 1st.
“The Town of Blackfalds is always looking to improve the services and amenities for our residents,” states Mayor Richard Poole, adding, “We have looked at our current service and made changes that will best reflect the ridership needs we have been tracking.”
With continued growth, the Town is always looking at its services and will update based on use and feedback to ensure it is meeting the needs of residents.
After reviewing the current ridership numbers, BOLT is making changes to both routes and times for this service. The Town, working with the City of Lacombe, has received feedback from numerous stakeholders and riders over the past couple years asking for enhanced evening service.
BOLT is removing the Saturday service, which has consistently had the lowest ridership. To accommodate these changes, an additional service has been added and route adjustments have been made to meet the needs of the users of this service.
The key features of these changes include new times and routes for first morning trip, no more Saturday service, an added evening trip, and a second northbound express stop in Blackfalds.
BOLT Regional Public Transit provides service to Blackfalds, Lacombe and Red Deer.
BOLT monthly regional card holders may transfer to Red Deer Transit Route 10 to access Red Deer Hospital, Red Deer College and Bower Mall at no extra cost. BOLT offers an opportunity for residents to get into Red Deer or Lacombe throughout the week.
In 2012, a Regional Transit Partnership was formed between the City of Red Deer, the Town of Blackfalds and the City of Lacombe to provide public transit service between Red Deer, Blackfalds and Lacombe as well as add local bus service to Blackfalds and Lacombe.
During the past years there has been a positive uptake in this program initiative.
To sustain this program, both councils recently approved the Burman University Proposal that included a schedule adjustment that would add a fifth evening trip during the week that would allow a later final trip for students and commuters to get home at night.
For more information about these changes and information on the route and times, visit the web site at blackfalds.com/bolt.
-Submitted by the Town of Blackfalds