Council decision 'moves transit system miles ahead'

Decision will add 4,500 hours of service to routes and add 504 Taxi-to-Go hours; bus to Newmarket not approved

Bradfordtoday.ca
September 6, 2018
Miriam King

Councillors praised a transit report that proposes adding 4,500 hours of service to the conventional bus routes, and 504 Taxi-to-Go hours. The cost is covered in the approved 2018 budget and will mean an increase of $198,000 in the 2019 budget to fully implement the service enhancements.

Transportation technologist Paul Dubniak said the recommendations, based on public input, include extending the hours of service from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, and introducing a new Saturday bus service, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Route 1, the Crosstown service on Holland Street, will be shortened from 35 minutes to 30 minutes, providing a simplified, “clock-face” schedule, with service on the hour and half-hour. A stop at Holland Court would be eliminated, impacting 1-1.5 passengers per day.

Route 2, the Around Town route, would see the biggest changes. Two-way service would be reinstated, effectively reducing travel time. There will also be an earlier start time (beginning at 6 a.m.) and extension of the route to Reagens Industrial Parkway, making transit available to some shift workers.

A taxi shuttle service, working on the same principle as Taxi-to-Go, would provide additional pick-up and drop-off to Reagens Industrial Park between 7 and 9 p.m. on weekdays, for a flat fee.

The enhancements won praise from councillors, but a proposed three-month pilot project, that would have connected the Bradford GO train station with Newmarket’s bus terminal, was shot down.

Dubniak noted the cost of the pilot was already included in the 2018 transit budget, but Coun. Peter Ferragine was against paying for a bus service to take shoppers out of town.

“I want to see it (transit) work in our community first, before sending it to other communities,” Ferragine said.

Mayor Rob Keffer suggested that the town should first approach Simcoe County and York Region, to help pay for what is essentially an intra-municipal bus service. Keffer pointed out that the county’s transit plan does cover intra-municipal services from Penetanguishene to the separated city of Barrie.

“It’s something the county could do for Bradford, to show that they realize there is a need,” the mayor said. He suggested that the $40,000 already in the 2018 budget for the pilot project “not be spent in 2018,” and proposed an amendment, before council voted on recommending approval of the transit changes.

Coun. Ferragine seconded the motion, repeating, “I want to see this successful in our community first… before we start taking residents out of our community.”

Council was unanimous in supporting the amendment and the amended plan.

“I love the amendment,” said Deputy Mayor James Leduc. “It’s moving our transit system miles ahead.”

Coun. Gary Baynes did question the cost of reinstating two-way service on Route 2, asking, “How urgent or pressing is this?”

Dubniak noted  the town has two “spare” buses; the changes would simply put one extra bus into service on the line. It was public consultation that identified the need to cut the time of a trip on Route 2 from the current 60 minutes.

“What we basically heard back from the public is, increase the frequency on Route 2,” he said. “Sixty minutes is a detriment to a service.”

“It shows we’re listening to the residents. We’re accommodating their needs,” said Keffer.