Transit committee signs MOU to connect Líl̓wat Nation with Metro Vancouver

The Sea to Sky Regional Transit Committee has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Province of British Columbia to keep planning for an interregional transit service along Highway 99, according to a news release.

The proposed service would link corridor communities from Líl̓wat Nation in the north to Metro Vancouver in the south. The committee says the service would better connect communities, meet commuter demand, reduce congestion and ensure equitable access to goods and services.

The committee brings together the Líl̓wat Nation, the Village of Pemberton, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the District of Squamish and the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). The partners have worked alongside the province for more than a decade to advance the file, according to the news release.

The push for regional transit dates back to the Sea to Sky Transit Future Plan, which BC Transit developed in 2015 after extensive community engagement. That plan led to a 2017 regional transit study that explored short- and medium term options for an interregional bus service, which in turn led to the creation of the committee in 2019.

The MOU sets out provincial guiding principles including regional decision-making, integration between passenger transportation modes, leveraging partnership funding, collaboration between the private and public sector, and equity of access, the news release says.

“This Memorandum of Understanding demonstrates what can be achieved when local governments, Líl̓wat Nation and Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw and provincial partners come together with a shared vision,” SLRD Board Chair Jen Ford said on behalf of the committee. “Reliable and accessible regional transit is essential for connecting people with employment, education, healthcare, recreation, and services throughout our region.”