New Hinton-Jasper bus connects displaced Jasperites with workplaces, community

The municipality of Jasper is running a new commuter bus between Hinton and Jasper to give residents displaced by last year's wildfire another way to get to work and appointments.

The commuter bus completes five trips a day between Hinton and Jasper.

Jasperites who lost their homes in the 2024 wildfire can ride for free by showing a Recovery Pass, which they have to apply for from the municipality. Anyone can use the service.

The first bus leaves the Parks West Mall in Hinton at 6:30 a.m. and the last one leaves the Jasper Transit Hub on Patricia Street at 10:15 p.m.

The bus stops at Folding Mountain, about five kilometres before the Jasper National Park gate.

After stopping at the Jasper Transit Hub, the bus loops up to the new interim housing village of Marmot Meadows, directly next to Whistlers Campground off Highway 93. 

For everyone else, the one-hour trip costs $15 one way. For adults, books of 10 tickets are $130 and a monthly pass is $150. 

Bill Given, Jasper's chief administrative officer, said the service is an option for people living outside the townsite in Marmot Meadows or for those who relocated to Hinton. 

"We know that there are many Jasperites who are displaced and we weren't going to be able to provide enough housing for everyone in the townsite," he said in an interview last week. 

"We also wanted to ensure that people could remain connected to employment, school and community life." 

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Given said they've seen a mix of people using it, including residents, seasonal workers, and visitors. 

As of July 27, 276 trips were logged with the system and the majority of riders — 30 per cent — are Recovery Pass holders.

The municipality contracted Sundog Tours and Transportation Ltd. to operate the service for two years, to start. The Government of Alberta is funding the service with $2 million for two years. 

The 'Teal Line' 

Jasper Transit has called the bus the Teal Line Regional Loop. The 24-seat vehicle has 'Jasper Transit' written on the side of it, just like the municipality's other buses that do the Green Line Lodge Loop, Red Line Campgrounds Loop and Orange Line Pyramid Loop. 

There's no sign at the front telling people it's a commuter bus from Hinton to Jasper.

One of the bus drivers told CBC News that he often has to tell people what bus it is and where it's going because there's no sign.  

Leah Marshall, a visitor from Denmark, got on the commuter bus at the Jasper transit hub by mistake. 

"I thought it was the one leaving for the place I wanted to go, the Pyramid Loop, but I just asked the bus driver and he said it wasn't so I'll just wait for the right one," Marshall told CBC News. 

Given said they plan to advertise the service further, by working with the Hinton Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Jasper to get the word out to non-displaced people. 

"The startup has been relatively quiet. We haven't done a lot of promotion about it," he said.