By Tyler Marr

City to poll schools, stakeholders on Little Red transit interest

Sep 10, 2017 | 5:12 PM

In an effort to heighten the use of Little Red River Park, city council mulled the idea of an experimental bus route to the park at their latest meeting.

The idea came on the back of earlier transit discussions and recent overhauls, though a report outlining the project’s feasibility was met with heavy discourse.

The report said the cost to operate a bus service from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. five days a week for three months — December to February — would be near $18,000. As it cost roughly $68.68 per hour of operation with First Bus, the service would need 15 passengers per hour to meet cost ratios and upwards of 34 to break even. The report also said the city has not received many requests for service to the park.

The city has purchased new buses set to arrive in the coming months and could use one of these for the run, but city staff would prefer to keep a few as backups for the fleet. However, the city could source a bus for this run from First Bus or another contractor.

An original move to slide the experiment into 2018 budget meetings was met with apprehension, with many councillors saying it would be a rushed move.

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“We don’t know [interest], and before we send this to budget committee, we need to find out,” Coun. Ted Zurakowski said to agreement from a number of councillors.

It was suggested the city inquire schools about student interest, though some trepidation was had over what exactly to ask. Mayor Greg Dionne interjected and expressed his opposition.

“We should be asking, this winter, users of the hill. We have operators out there. We could have the survey out there,” Dionne said. “Shelve it until the winter comes, get a good survey together with the questions we want as councillors and ask the people at the ski hill.”

Coun. Blake Edwards partially disagreed, saying the idea was originally proposed as a way to attract more people to the park.

“That is really the people we are looking to possibly transport out there. It is the school kids we are hoping to get rides out there,” he said.

Though in favour of expanding transit, Coun. Dennis Ogrodnick questioned the cost and justification after council recently nixed service to Crescent Acres citing low usage.

Council put the brakes on the idea and voted rather to first engage stakeholders and students on their thoughts and interest.

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr