Rural Transit Needs Assessment
Updated March 23, 2026
Help Shape the Future of Transportation in the Fraser Valley
If you live in the FVRD's rural areas, including Hope, Kent, and Harrison Hot Springs, we would like to hear from you! Your experiences and ideas will help us better understand the daily transportation challenges people face and will guide future decisions about transit in our region.
Phase 1 engagement is now closed. Thank you to all who participated. Your input will help shape potential solution options.
Understanding Rural Transportation Needs
Transportation for rural and remote communities in the FVRD can be challenging. Many residents have limited or no access to public or private transit, especially after the loss of Greyhound in 2018. Getting to work, school, shopping, or medical appointments each day can be particularly difficult for non-drivers, seniors, youth, and people living with mobility or health challenges.
The Rural Transit Needs Assessment & Action Plan will help us better understand:
- What transportation challenges do people experience each day
- Where service gaps currently exist in communities
- What are the opportunities for new transit partnerships
- What types of transit solutions could improve mobility and access to essential services
This project will explore a wide range of possibilities, from handyDART and on-demand services to community shuttles and other creative rural mobility models. Focusing on rural communities and First Nations within the FVRD, as well as the municipalities of Hope, Kent, and Harrison Hot Springs.
Note: This study is separate from past engagement on the planned North of Fraser bus route and focuses on transportation solutions in the FVRD’s rural areas that go beyond conventional bus routes.
How You Can Take Part
Phase 1 engagement is now closed. Thank you to everyone who took part by completing the survey, joining a focus group, sharing ideas, or helping us map transit and transportation needs and challenges. Your input will help shape potential solutions in rural communities across the region.
Phase 2 engagement is launching soon and will focus on getting feedback on proposed transit and transportation solutions and implementation considerations.
Stay tuned for details on ways to participate, including:
- Two to three in-person pop-up events
- An online survey (with paper copies available)
- Educational materials outlining proposed transit solutions
Please check back on this page for dates, engagement materials, and more ways to have your say as the project moves forward.
Working Together
This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada's Rural Transit Solutions Fund and Fraser Health's Macro Health Grant for Hope and the Fraser Canyon. This support will help the FVRD and the project consultants, Left Turn Right Turn Ltd. explore new and innovative ways to improve mobility for rural and remote communities in the FVRD, informed by the lived experiences of:
- Residents of rural and remote communities
- First Nations
- Seniors and youth
- People with disabilities or limited mobility
- Non-drivers
- Anyone who provides or relies on others for transportation
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