"Frostbite" could end up being the key word at this weekend's Frostbite Music Festival as residents are left to their own devices to get to the various performances at the Yukon Arts Centre and Yukon College.

The city has turned down Frostbite's request for a dedicated bus service travelling from downtown to the festival site.

"I expected nothing less," Patrick Singh, Frostbite's general manager, told the Star Wednesday.

At Monday night's city council meeting, Whitehorse Transit manager Dave Muir said the city declined the request and presented a response letter sent to Singh from Mayor Bev Buckway.

"Unfortunately, due to timelines presented and the city's requirement to consider all in-kind applications either through the recreation grant program or special events funds, we have to decline at this time," Muir said.

Frostbite's Brian Eaton brought the proposal forward at the Feb. 2 council meeting.

He suggested if the city can't provide ongoing bus service to and from the festival throughout the weekend, it could offer service to the college and arts centre at the start of the evening or day, then return after the performances wrap up to get people back downtown.

Along with regular transit users who want to get to the festival, the service would be useful to those wanting to park downtown and get a ride to the event and those from out of town (such as those in Whitehorse for Saturday's start of the Yukon Quest) who want to attend the performances, he argued.

Buckway's letter suggests festival-goers can use the city's regular transit system or Frostbite could hire a private company to get residents to the concerts.

"At this time, I would like to take the opportunity to remind you that festival patrons are able to make use of our Friday night bus service," reads the letter.

"In lieu of city transit for your other transportation requirements, may I suggest you contact one or more of the private bus companies that operate locally, including Alaska Direct Bus Line, A-Line Buses, Takhini Transport, Grayline Yukon and/or Tom's Touring Service."

Muir pointed out that in considering such requests, the city has to look at whether providing the service would mean competing with private businesses.

"This would certainly have impacted on that," he said.

Officials with the airport shuttle company Singh contacted told him they would be too busy to provide the service. As well, the cost was too high, Singh said.

He argued the city passed up a good opportunity to provide something that would benefit the entire community and contribute to tourism.

While he acknowledged the request came on short notice, Singh said he had contacted the transit department at around Christmas, when Muir was away, but hadn't heard back from anyone by last week's meeting.

It was then Eaton had decided to bring the request directly to council.

The city's bus schedule shows the Takhini-College-Canada Games Centre route providing service to the college and arts centre from just before 7 a.m., with the last bus leaving the college for downtown at 9:43 p.m. Friday.

Saturday's service has the first bus leaving Ogilvie Street on the route at 8:20 a.m. The last bus from the college departs at 6:13 p.m.

The city has no transit service on Sundays, and the proposed 2009 city budget eliminates Friday evening service.

Frostbite will get underway at 7:30 p.m. Friday, with the final show of the night ending at 2 a.m., more than four hours after buses stop running.

While transit users will be able to attend Frostbite events from noon until 5 p.m. Saturday, they'll have to find their own way to the festival for the evening sessions, which run from 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday.

The final day of the festival will once again see things start up at noon and continue until 5 p.m., when there'll be a break until the evening shows, from 7:30 p.m. until midnight.

Though Singh doesn't expect the city's decision will have a major impact on numbers, given that it hasn't provided the service in the past, it will mean those depending on city transit or in town for the Yukon Quest won't get to attend performances they may have otherwise have gone to.

The festival will be without a dedicated transit service this year as it has been in the past. However, Singh hopes he can persuade the city to provide it for the 2010 Frostbite festival and said he'll submit an application earlier than he did this year.