A new transit link between Innisfail, Penhold, Springbrook and Red Deer was officially rolled out Monday.
The 2A South Regional Transit service is a two-year pilot project to gauge the need for a bus connection from nearby communities to Red Deer’s transit system.
Buses will run weekdays, with no service on weekends or statutory holidays. Fares cost $5 per trip, but people can ride free until Feb. 8 to check out the service.
The route builds on the success of a line that connects Red Deer Transit with Red Deer County’s Gasoline Alley and Springbrook.
An official ribbon cutting took place at Red Deer’s Bower Place mall stop on Monday morning, with local MLAs and the mayors of Red Deer, Innisfail and Penhold among those ushering in the new service.
Thanks to our government's Alberta Rural transportation pilot program, the communities of Innisfail, Penhold and Springbrook will now have transit services to Red Deer. For more info on fares and schedules, contact https://t.co/YYkJQmoOnM#ableg #abndp pic.twitter.com/4cKvaV3TYR
— Barb Miller (@BarbMillerNDP) January 14, 2019
Buses will drop off and pick up passengers at four stops in Innisfail, six in Penhold and 12 in Springbrook. It’s about a 45-minute trip from Innisfail and a 30-minute trip from Penhold to the Bower Place mall, where riders can get a transfer on to Red Deer Transit.
The first bus from Innisfail arrives in Red Deer at 7:45 a.m. The last bus from Red Deer to Innisfail and Penhold leaves at 5:40 p.m.
The project is a collaborative effort between Red Deer, Red Deer County, Innisfail, Penhold and the province. The Alberta government provided $700,000 in funding from the Rural Transportation Pilot Project program to help launch the service.