The Sea to Sky Transit service linking Squamish and Whistler has proven so popular officials have had to stop selling monthly passes.But the change means some commuters will be paying nearly twice the amount to get to and from work on the bus.The changes, which took effect on Feb. 1, resulted in the elimination of the popular monthly passes in favour of lower prices for a book of 10 tickets. Instead of selling monthly passes for $75, officials are now offering a book for $30 instead of $36. Single-ride tickets, available on the buses, are still available for $4 each.The change means a commuter working 20 days a month will now have to pay $120 a month to ride the bus to and from work.Brian Barnett, general manager of engineering and public works for the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), on Tuesday said officials decided to eliminate the monthly passes because they had exhausted their budget for monthly passes in the 3 1/2-month pilot project.In conjunction with the pilot project, the RMOW and District of Squamish were also offering discounted prices on books of 10 tickets on Greyhound's buses. While Barnett said the $36 price remains in effect, the books of 10 weren't available at the RMOW early this week.Scott Pass, manager of Whistler Transit and Squamish Transit, said officials decided to eliminate the monthly passes for Sea to Sky Transit service partly because of their popularity."We realize there are a lot of people who preferred the monthly pass, but it was just too hard to decide who gets one and who doesn't," Pass said.Barnett said the pilot project, which runs until April 24, has remained extremely successful. After the project expires, Whistler, Squamish and B.C. Transit officials will evaluate the program's successes and shortcomings and approach lawmakers with a proposal for future service, he said."We went into this pilot program with the full intent of concluding it on April 24, and that's still our full intent," he said. "We wanted to collect the data, analyze the data, then re-launch it, and we wanted to work out the bugs before we re-launch it."The ultimate aim is to make regular Squamish-Whistler runs a permanent part of an expanded corridor transit program. Barnett said officials have already talked to their counterparts with the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) and the Village of Pemberton about the possibility of establishing a regional transit authority which would have the power to levy gas taxes to pay for transit."There are discussions taking place in the corridor," he said. "The mayors and administrators have met to discuss that."-with files from Tim Shoults
