New bus service pilot connects Camrose students to Edmonton

A big green bus has rolled into Camrose — creating a transit link that University of Alberta students have been waiting on for years.

The University of Alberta's Augustana Campus is 90 kilometres southeast of Edmonton. A private bus service new to Alberta, called FlixBus, has added a route connecting Augustana with the U of A north campus this fall.

It's part of a six-week pilot program that includes free tickets for students travelling between the two campuses. Tickets for community members start at $15. 

"The problem with having a campus so far away from Edmonton is there was no way to go from Camrose to Edmonton without paying basically $300 for a round trip with a taxi or if you have a car and a licence," said Joanna Nicolas, a fourth-year law, crime and justice student at Augustana.

Nicolas rode the bus last week to visit some friends in Edmonton. She said the money she saved with her free ticket can now go toward her groceries.

Edmonton AM6:03New transit link for U of A students at Augustana campus in Camrose

A big green bus has rolled in to Camrose, creating a transit link that University of Alberta students have been waiting on for years. The U of A's Augustana Campus is in Camrose, 90 kilometres southeast of Edmonton. Flixbus has added a route connecting the two campuses this fall. Associate producer Emily Williams caught up with some riders.

Miron Nekhoroshkov, a Augustana student in his third-year of computer science, was riding into Edmonton to check out the mental health clinic and other north campus services.

He said the savings won't just help students, but the community at large.

"It's just really cheap, a lot cheaper than what students paid in the past and what community members would have to pay. It's cheaper than probably getting gas to drive here too."

A years-long effort

The FlixBus route fills a need that has affected students for years. When Greyhound pulled out of the market in 2018, the Camrose Connector bus filled the gap — in a partnership between Red Arrow, the City of Camrose, and the NDP provincial government. The program ended in 2021.

Abdul Abbasi, vice-president external of the U of A's students' union — and an Augustana student himself — said since then, the university, the students' union, and the community have been trying to get that bus back.

"We have reached out to the minister of transportation, we have talked with MLAs, we have used all the other avenues we have — and it was not working."

The students' union decided to reach out to FlixBus directly, and strike a deal. The pilot program's free tickets are funded by the union, the university, and the Augustana Students' Association. 

The City of Camrose is helping pay for advertising.

Abbasi is hoping the bus route continues beyond the pilot, at a price of $15. 

"I think it's a really good price for students and we want to make sure that it continues so we are advertising it as much as we can."

A FlixBus spokesperson said in a statement to CBC that they are encouraged by strong ridership on the route so far.

"This route is doing more than just filling a transportation gap — it's connecting students and local residents to essential opportunities, from education and work, to services," the statement read.

The bus runs on Mondays and Fridays, and Abbasi said the University Health Centre has created special appointment slots dedicated to Augustana students on Fridays.