Our new commuter bus service was celebrated by City of Fort Saskatchewan and Strathcona County officials at a small gathering this week.

Starting on July 2, transit service from Fort Saskatchewan to Edmonton will use Strathcona County buses, and connect Fort riders with Sherwood Park as well as major Edmonton destinations.

The is a major change in the commuter service, which had been connecting directly to Edmonton since 2004.

"In response to community demand and through collaboration with our regional partners, the commuter route between Fort Saskatchewan and Sherwood Park aims to bridge connectivity gaps and provide a vital link for residents commuting for work, school, medical appointments, and more," Katchur said Friday.

Fort officials hope the switch will encourage more ridership on the commuter service, which has been lower than expected in recent years.

It is hoped that students in particular will feel safer riding buses to the University of Alberta or MacEwan, rather than riding the LRT, Katchur says.

The change also has the benefit of providing a link to Sherwood Park, which many Fort residents have requested, she adds.

"Strathcona County is proud to collaborate with the City of Fort Saskatchewan to provide regional transit service between our municipalities, and into the greater Edmonton region," said Mayor Rod Frank.

"We have an outstanding commuter network that is well integrated throughout Edmonton and provides direct service to downtown, Rogers Place, post-secondary institutions, and major connection points for a variety of recreation venues and services. We are delighted to be able to assist our friend and neighbour, Fort Saskatchewan, while at the same time doing it at no cost to Strathcona County taxpayers.”

Fort officials also noted Friday that local transit service inside Fort Saskatchewan has actually seen increased ridership in recent years.