Kelowna

The City of Kelowna says transit ridership numbers are up from last year, but have yet to meet projected targets.

The statement stems from several media reports that ridership numbers were down over last year while costs have risen.

"A discussion about transit ridership during the April 26 Kelowna City Council meeting left an incorrect impression that fewer people are taking the bus," says a statement released by Tom Wilson, the City's communication supervisor.

"In fact, the number of people who used the Kelowna Regional Transit System in 2009-10 increased by more than 178,000 compared to 2008-09. Some news stories after last Monday’s meeting reported a 1.6 per cent decrease in ridership."

“The confusion stems from the discussion at Council of a report that showed ridership not meeting the projected target,” says Regional Programs Manager Jerry Dombowsky. “The ambitious ridership target set for 2009-10 was slightly more than what actual ridership numbers came in at.”

The statement also says figures from the from the Canadian Urban Transit Association show that bus ridership in Kelowna grew faster in 2007-08 than anywhere else in Canada, with a 13 per cent increase in 2008 versus a five per cent increase nationally.

CUTA will not be releasing figures for 2009 until summer.