BC Transit’s BusReady program honoured by National transit association
By Contributor
For developing a dynamic program aimed at teaching B.C. kids and families how to safely ride the bus, BC Transit has been recognized with a prestigious award by the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA).
“Congratulations to BC Transit on this award and for their excellent work raising safety awareness and promoting transit use for families,” said Rob Fleming, B.C. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.
“As we expand and improve our transit system to keep pace with growth and provide people with affordable green transportation options, it is important to introduce young people to the benefits of transit so they become lifelong transit users.”
The CUTA Award was presented in the category of Marketing and Communications for BC Transit’s BusReady Youth Program, which was funded by the Province of BC in conjunction with their Free Transit for Children 12 and Under Program. The two main elements of BusReady are in-person school visits and an interactive online platform.
The school visits include a fun and engaging presentation centred around safety, community, accessibility, and sustainability. It can be tailored to different age groups, and usually includes a chance to hop on a bus and meet a BC Transit driver.
During the last two years, the school presentation has reached 10,735 students in 394 classrooms from 60 schools.
The BusReady website is loaded with videos, interactive games and activities aimed at both families and educators. New content is constantly being created to keep people engaged, and the site can be found at busready.bctransit.com.
“Our organization is proud of this program developed by BC Transit employees to help create a new generation of transit riders in a fun way,” said Erinn Pinkerton, BC Transit President and Chief Executive Officer.
“We are thankful to the Province for their funding support through the Free Transit for Children 12 and Under program, which has played an important role in growing ridership throughout the province.”
For more than 100 years, CUTA has been Canada’s national voice for public transit and urban mobility.
Their organization connects public transit agencies across the country, advocates for investment and support from governments, and is the leading transportation data collection body in the field.
CUTA Awards are handed out as part of their Annual Conference and Transit Show, this year held in Edmonton from November 13-15.
