On the morning of Monday, August 18, Steven Mirosh sat at the bus stop in front of The Station, eating an early lunch while waiting for a ride on Cochrane’s Local Transit (COLT).
“I’m headed home to Fireside,” he said. “It’s just convenient for me to get a ride from the bus.”
Mirosh had dropped his car off at a River Avenue service shop and walked less than a kilometre to the stop, knowing it was the launch day for Cochrane’s new fixed bus routes.
“I learned about it through the Town of Cochrane app,” he noted. “I think it’s great and we need it. It’s a really good alternative for times when it’s difficult to book COLT on short notice.”
The launch marks the next step in Cochrane’s public transit system, which until now has relied solely on the on-request service.
“We had been looking at our on-request system and the feedback that we heard from a lot of folks was that we need to enter the next stage of transit in Cochrane,” said Matt Knox, the Town’s Director of Social Development. “The data collected drove us to really start with this.”
Planners identified high-traffic and high-use areas to build a foundation for the fixed-route system. The result was three routes designed to connect neighbourhoods with downtown and key hubs:
- Route 1: Sunset Ridge → Downtown → SLS Centre
- Route 2: Heritage Hills → Heartland → Downtown → Cochrane Heights → Downtown
- Route 3: Fireside → SLS Centre → Downtown
The routes run with weekday and Saturday schedules.
During the launch, the Cochrane Eagle rode along Route 2 from Heritage Hills to Cochrane Heights. The commute was quick, reflecting the town’s compact layout, though a full loop still takes about an hour. Riders included commuters heading to work, families, and children attending summer programs.
For Heena Banka, the service provided a timely option to bring her son, Aryan, to a Boys and Girls Club program.
“We take the bus when my husband has the family car for work,” she explained. “We usually book on-demand, but learning about this route’s launch, we decided to try it out.”
While her son has a school bus during the academic year, Banka sees the new routes as a welcome addition for the summer months.
While some areas, such as Bow Ridge, are not included in the fixed-route network, Knox confirms they will continue to be served by the on-demand system, creating a hybrid service. The Town operates eight buses in total: one for each fixed route, two for on-request trips, and three as spares.
“I think what’s important for folks to learn is that this is a constantly growing system,” Knox said. “This may be how it’s set up today, but I imagine we’ll be seeing tweaks and growth as the town continues to grow.”
Community engagement was the driving force behind the creation of the routes, and Knox emphasized it will remain central to future changes, including naming the routes.
“We want the community engaged in that sense of ownership and pride,” he said. “Give us your feedback. We want to hear from people riding. How do you feel? What do you want us to know that we could improve?”
The new fixed routes will be free to ride until September 1. Residents can learn more and share feedback by visiting cochrane.ca/transit.
