The Municipality of Lambton Shores Transit System Feasibility Study Final Draft Report
December 10, 2019
Transit Consulting Network
2019 The Municipality of Lambton Shores Transit System Feasibility Study
Municipality of Lambton Shores Project Team
Project Team Glen Baillie, Chair, Huron Shores Transit Steering Committee Kevin Williams, CAO, Municipality of Lambton Shores
Transit Consulting Network Project Team
Principal & Project Manager Wally Beck, C.E.T.
Project Team Charles Fitzsimmons, Senior Consultant, Specialized Transit Kim Laursen, Technical and Administrative Support
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2019 The Municipality of Lambton Shores Transit System Feasibility Study
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction and Background ...... 1 1.1 Background ...... 1 1.2 Understanding ...... 1 1.3 Study Objectives ...... 2 1.4 The Case to Support Transit ...... 3 1.5 Study Work Plan ...... 4 2. Community Engagement ...... 5 2.1 Study Launch Meeting ...... 5 2.2 Existing Huron Shores Travel Options ...... 5 2.3 Transit Focus Groups ...... 6 2.3.1 District Program Staff ...... 7 2.3.2 General Public ...... 8 2.3.3 Business Representatives ...... 9 2.3.4 Summary of Transit Focus Group Input ...... 10 3. Public Transit Options ...... 12 3.1 Long-distance Inter-city Coach Service ...... 12 3.2 Local Conventional Transit Bus Fixed-route Service ...... 12 3.3 Local Community Transit Service ...... 13 3.3.1 Fixed Route Community Bus Service ...... 13 3.3.2 Fixed-route Shared-ride Taxi ...... 13 3.3.3 Dial-a-Ride Transit ...... 13 3.3.4 Fixed Flex-Route Concept ...... 14 3.4 Demand-responsive Mobile Apps ...... 14 3.4.1 Uber Taxi Model (Town of Innisfil) ...... 14 3.4.2 RideWell (Wellington County) ...... 15 3.5 Specialized Transit ...... 16 3.6 Short-listed Public Transit Options ...... 16 4. Development of Transit Service Plan ...... 18 4.1 Route and Service Design Challenges and Opportunities ...... 18 4.2 Recommended Public Transportation Strategy ...... 19 4.3 Proposed Route and Service Concepts ...... 20 5. Transit Business Model ...... 23 5.1 Transit Business Model Options ...... 23 5.2 Preferred Transit Business Model ...... 24 6. Transit Financial Plan ...... 26 6.1 Public Transportation Financial Plan Assumptions ...... 26 6.1.1 Transit Costing ...... 26 6.1.2 Transit Ridership and Revenue Forecasting ...... 27 6.2 Proposed Transit Service Levels ...... 29 6.3 Pilot Project Budgets ...... 30 6.3.1 Long-distance Pilot Project Budget ...... 30 6.3.2 Local Transit Pilot Project Budget ...... 31 6.3.3 Other Transit Costs and Revenues ...... 32
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6.3.4 Dedicated Gas Tax Funding ...... 32 6.4 Future Transit Ridership Growth Strategies ...... 33 6.4.1 Travel Training ...... 33 6.4.2 Social Service Agency Clients ...... 34 6.4.3 Better Accommodating Employee Shifts ...... 34 6.4.4 Regional Transit Integration ...... 34 6.4.5 Enhanced Marketing and Branding ...... 35 6.4.6 Bike Racks on Buses ...... 35 6.4.7 Realtime Passenger Information ...... 36 6.4.8 Summary of Transit Ridership Growth Strategies ...... 36 6.5 Future Transit Investments ...... 36 6.6 Recommendations ...... 38 6.7 Transit Service Delivery Next Steps ...... 38
Appendix A: Project Launch Meeting Appendix B: Existing Transportation Services in Huron Shores
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1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The Huron Shores Transit Project has received Community Transportation Grant funds to develop both a community transportation system in Huron Shores service area, and a complementary community transit system connecting the municipalities of Bluewater, Lambton Shores, South Huron, North Middlesex, Kettle & Stony Point First Nation with Sarnia and London. Huron Shores is currently not served by either conventional transit or specialized transit, with the exception of Bluewater and South Huron that are served by OneCare EasyRide.
Transit Consulting Network (TCN) was retained to work with The Municipality of Lambton Shores and the Huron Shores Transit Area committee to undertake a Transit System Feasibility Study to determine whether or not public transit service will be introduced and, if so, what the next steps will need to be.
1.1 Background
The Huron Shores service population of 35,000 people is distributed among: Lambton Shores (11,000), South Huron (10,000), North Middlesex (7,000), and Bluewater (7,000). Population centres include Bayfield, Arcona, Forest, Grand Bend, Thedford, Exeter, Ailsa Craig, Corbett, Mount Carmel, Parkhill, and the Kettle & Stony Point First Nation. Of these, the larger centers are Forest, Exeter, and Grand Bend, the latter a resort area with significant seasonal employment needs to address the influx of residents, renters and visitors to beaches, Grand Bend Raceway, and other attractions during the summer months. Grand Bend employers in particular are challenged by the limited number of local youths to fill seasonal jobs, and the lack of transportation to enable youth in outlying areas to work in Grand Bend.
Primary health care in Huron Shores is offered by North Lambton Community Health Care Centres (Forest, Kettle Point), Grand Bend and Area Community Health Centre, South Huron Hospital (Exeter), and North Middlesex Medical Services in Parkhill. Secondary and specialized care require patients to travel to and from London and Sarnia.
The 2018 Huron Shores Transit Survey points to unmet public transportation needs for employment, childcare, shopping, medical, recreation, travel, education, and social purposes. The population is widely dispersed in rural areas and small communities. The Transit Feasibility Study addresses the needs of people with no access to a car, or who cannot or prefer not to drive, or for whom the costs of car transportation are a barrier and a burden. Although many Huron Shores Transit Survey respondents drive a car (80%) or ride as a passenger (60%), this is in the absence of a lower cost alternative. 70% of respondents said they would use public transit if it was available.
1.2 Understanding Not unlike other rural communities across Ontario, residents need affordable access to jobs, schools, and goods and services, including medical facilities with the latter growing in demand as the population ages. Introducing affordable transportation will improve the resident quality of life and is better for the local economy and businesses. Having affordable public transportation will also mitigate the need for residents to move. For seniors, public transit can play a major role when it comes to aging in place, as a link to the goods and services they require to maintain themselves in their home. Public transit provides an opportunity to break the
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2019 The Municipality of Lambton Shores Transit System Feasibility Study isolation barrier for those who have no means of moving about through their community. Public transit can generate a sense of independence and fulfillment for the mobility challenged and persons with disabilities. Public transit can also enhance economic development, encourage people to move to or stay in a given community, and can assist the local tourism industry, to name just a few of its benefits. Public transit also enables youth to participate in sports, school, recreation and after-school or co-op employment in the region. Most importantly, public transit may be the only option for people who cannot afford to purchase and maintain a personal vehicle.
The Province of Ontario dedicates 2 cents of every litre of gas sold in Ontario to municipalities that fund public transit service, based on an established formula. When first introduced, this helped many smaller communities get started by making transit more affordable and sustainable. Recognizing that public transportation cannot be all things to all people, it was of paramount importance that the transit feasibility study reflect consensus reached among stakeholder groups regarding what the top priorities should be for a public transit system.
1.3 Study Objectives
The Transit Consulting Network work plan was set up to answer the following questions:
▪ What is required to operate a mixed rural-urban public transit service in the short- and long-term? What will ridership be like in the beginning and what factors are critical to developing it? What is a reasonable amount of service, and how can we provide coverage at key times? What is the optimal vehicle mix? How can public transit build upon existing transportation services provided by the Red Cross, Lambton Elderly Outreach, One Care, tourism transportation, taxis, and yellow school bus student transportation services? What should the fare structure be, and how should fares be sold and collected? How can the local transportation and long-distance transportation solutions be differentiated to meet the Community Transportation grant application requirements? What will the capital and operating budget be during the pilot program, up to March 31, 2023? How much of the Province of Ontario 2-cent per litre dedicated transit gas tax might be received during and after the pilot program is completed? What other external funding is available to support the services?
▪ What public transit governance options and models are available? What business models are most appropriate? How would a service be structured? What service types are appropriate? Who should provide the service, and under what arrangements? What technologies should be introduced to monitor the service?
▪ If Transit is not ‘feasible’, why not?
▪ If Transit is considered viable: How should transit be introduced?
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How and when should service be expanded? What are the next steps?
The ultimate goal and challenge are to provide a public transportation services that meet community needs, operate effectively within available resources, do not over-commit local government financially, and provide a blueprint for orderly development.
1.4 The Case to Support Transit
Communities are finding that residents faced with the loss of personal mobility and/or unable to afford a car, are increasingly inclined or obliged to move to communities where affordable public transportation exists, or where services are located within a reasonable walking distance. Likewise, employers consider the availability of public transportation when making business location decisions. A major factor that makes possible a good quality of life is the availability of affordable public transportation, since it enables those without access to a private car to access goods, services, jobs, and maximize social connectedness, which is now considered a definite health maintenance benefit.
The market for transit – students, low-income working people, people with disabilities, senior citizens, people on social assistance, and those that simply want to forego having a 2nd or 3rd car, are all segments of the population whose needs should not be ignored. The viability of policies to maintain the elderly in their homes instead of in long-term care, access to health care, social services, and essential maintenance such as shopping, and banking all depend on personal mobility. Community leaders seeking to reverse or stabilize a potential decline in population or increase a local workforce must consider access to transportation as a key issue affecting the vitality and the financial health of their community.
Another key factor that can be considered to support the availability of affordable public transit is the positive financial impact transit can have on a community. The ability to reduce car ownership can have a profound effect on a household’s finances and quality of life. For example, based on 2019 CAA 5-year average driving costs of a sub-compact car, the average monthly cost based on 20,000km per year, approximates $650.
For those residents who earn little income and are obliged to own a vehicle in order to get to and from work, car ownership is a financial burden. For example, a person working part-time, 24 hours per week, with a net income of $12 per hour must work more than half of those hours just to own and operate a vehicle to get to work. Further, a major car repair expense can be devastating. Those on low fixed incomes or who are severely under-employed face even greater challenges.
Both the Federal and Provincial governments invest in public transit; however, there is no local investment in the Huron Shores Transit service area being addressed in this study and as such, local residents are not benefiting from external funding programs. The Community Transportation grants are made available to help bridge the gap between households that own vehicles and those that do not. A relatively minor investment in rural and small community transit would enable those without a car to access local events, municipal services and facilities, and other goods, services and activities that those with a car take for granted.
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1.5 Study Work Plan
The Work Plan for the Transit Feasibility Study was proposed in two phases: ▪ Phase I: Transit Service Plan ▪ Phase II: Preferred Transit Service Delivery Option
The study was launched on August 8, 2019 and, based on the findings, the workplan was amended to incorporate the following chronology of key tasks: ▪ Assessment of existing Huron Shores Travel Options (based on findings from the study launch) ▪ Community Engagement through key Transit Focus Group meetings complemented by one-on-one interviews ▪ Assessment of public transit options available and short-list preferred options ▪ Development of o The Transit Service Plan (route and service concepts) o The Transit Business Model needed to support the Transit Service Plan o The Transit Financial Plan o The Transit Ridership Growth Plan o The Transit Implementation Plan
The findings of this report are to be presented to participating municipalities throughout the Huron Shores service area to determine whether or not to proceed the Phase III: Transit Implementation.
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2. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Results of the 2018 Huron Shores Transit Survey, undertaken by the Huron Shores Transit Steering Committee members before this study, had concluded that there is a clear need for public transportation in the region. Approximately 80% of the 1,000 residents surveyed identified a need for public transportation. This study concentrated on community priorities by complementing previous work through enhanced dialogue with community leaders, residents, businesses, and various service providers. The community engagement process through various Transit Focus Groups was instrumental in assisting the study team to understand the gaps and opportunities available and to obtain preliminary feedback on potential service options that represent best practices in the public transportation sector.
2.1 Study Launch Meeting
On August 8, 2019 the Transit Feasibility Study was launched through a preliminary stakeholder meeting that was attended by 12 individuals that included representatives from the project steering committee, taxi and charter industries, municipalities, and caregiver agencies. The objective of the meeting was to provide the Transit Consulting Network with a preliminary understanding of the issues, community resources available, future tasks, and to help identify Transit Focus Group participation scheduled in October 2019.
The input received during the meeting is provided in Appendix A Project Launch Meeting.
2.2 Existing Huron Shores Travel Options
Following the study launch meeting, an inventory of existing transportation services was undertaken with the assistance of community stakeholders complemented by on-line research and interviews undertaken by Transit consulting Network.
The available services are listed below and described in Appendix B Existing Transportation Services in Huron Shores. ▪ Angel Care Home Visits ▪ BendBus ▪ Canadian Cancer Society ▪ Canadian Red Cross Transportation Program (Sarnia) ▪ CareLink Health Transportation ▪ County of Lambton Adult Day Program ▪ J and T Murphy Limited ▪ Kettle and Stony Point Health Centre ▪ Kidney Foundation ▪ Lambton Elderly Outreach ▪ London Medical Transportation Systems - Senior Care Drivers ▪ One Care
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▪ Star Taxi ▪ That Girl Taxi ▪ Voyago - Voyageur Medical Transportation ▪ Wave Limo and Tours Given the absence of public transit in the Huron Shores Transit service area, residents and businesses have coped as well as can be expected. Those without access to a personal vehicle or those unable to drive are faced with financial challenges when they do need to travel and those that seek employment are limited in where they can work.
It is worth noting that many seniors’ residential centres do own and operate their own forms of transportation to transport residents periodically to attend weekly activities, shopping trips, etc. At some point following the study, it would be prudent to undertake an inventory to determine whether or not their needs could be met more cost-effectively with a local public transit service. For example, significant costs are probably being incurred with owning an accessible van or small bus due to the very few trips that may be taken. A business case may exist whereby the seniors’ centre annual costs for vehicle ownership, maintenance, fuel and insurance could exceed the cost of simply chartering the public transit service.
Although the inventory of existing Huron Shores travel options may suggest that many needs are accommodated in the Transit study area, these are either not available to residents that do not qualify for various services, or residents simply cannot afford services such as taxis for frequent travel. Although the list is not inclusive of all resources, it provides a snapshot of the many transportation services available in the Huron Shores Transit service area.
2.3 Transit Focus Groups
Transit Consulting Network facilitated three community Transit Focus Groups (TFGs) on October 23 and 24, 2019 that were attended by a total of 40 participants at the Huron Shores United Church, 25 Main St. W. in Grand Bend, Ontario.
The TFG schedule was as follows: ▪ District Program Staff: 10:30am – 12:00 noon, October 22
▪ General Public: 1:00pm – 2:30pm, October 22
▪ Business Representatives: 3:00pm – 4:30pm, October 22
▪ Project Steering Committee: 10:30am – 12:00 noon, October 23
At the beginning of each TFG, Transit Consulting Network provided a PowerPoint presentation that gave an overview of the transit feasibility study underway and the input being sought from the various stakeholders. The informal setting of the TFGs gave participants an opportunity to provide input to the study, and to identify issues, opportunities and priorities of a public transit system.
A project steering committee meeting was held the following day on October 23, 2019 to discuss the input received, identifying preliminary service priorities and the next steps of the study.
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2.3.1 District Program Staff
The 14 district program staff who attended represented local jurisdictions within and beyond the Huron Shores Transit Service area offered the following: ▪ Getting employees to and from work is important ▪ We need a regional transit authority similar to what South Central Ontario Region Economic Development Commission (SCOR EDC) is working to bring about in its region ▪ The Lambton Shores local service should be aware of service boundaries, eligibility and fare costs of EasyRide, LEO and Red Cross ▪ Red Cross covers all of Lambton for transportation of homeless people, but only as far a Kettle Stony Point for seniors and people with disabilities. Also, it does not take anyone under 18 years old ▪ Some medical patients have to go to London, since some medical services are not offered in Sarnia ▪ Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program provide (pay for) client transportation, but can only cover trips for the basic necessities ▪ A taxi from Exeter to Grand Bend costs about $50 ▪ Non-emergency transfers from South Huron to London cost between $75 and $115, and pre-booked times are not always honoured by the provider ▪ Hourly rates, and shared-ride rates are negotiated with taxi providers ▪ Program managers cannot group their annual spend on transportation and give it to the transit services, but might be able to buy single or blocks of tickets ▪ Affordable housing is a major related issue ▪ Highway 21 congestion is severe in the summer season, and will degrade transit travel times and schedule adherence ▪ Connected rural communities: many people use EasyRide and Lambton Elderly Outreach (LEO) for grocery shopping in Hensall, Zurich, and Huron ▪ Perhaps the Intercity service can go to Strathroy, to connect with the new Strathroy-Caradoc Intercity service to London and Sarnia ▪ Grocery stores might be persuaded to pay for grocery shuttle bus service once a week or twice per month, with a focus on the end of the month when pension checks come in ▪ Local service could act as a feeder to connect people to the Intercity service ▪ OneCare goes to Kitchener frequently, and about five times a day to London; perhaps service could be purchased on OneCare to get people to Kitchener and London; for most trips the driver has to wait there for the passenger(s) ▪ Red Cross and Homeward Bound also assist with patient transfers or hospital discharge trips ▪ There was general consensus that public transit should not erode the volunteer-based transportation in the region, rather, agencies can help build transit use by transferring some of their clients to the long-distance transit services; this would allow agencies to serve more clients
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2.3.2 General Public
Comments from the 10 members of the public as well as discussions with the consulting team are summarized as follows: ▪ Some seniors will soon be unable to drive and will need an affordable alternative to taxis ▪ One participant had to move out of the area because she can no longer drive ▪ Taxicab fares are too steep. One person indicated they have to pay $140 for a taxi to get to London “I had to move from the ▪ One Ontario community (Acton) subsidizes cab rides for area since I could not drive seniors anymore, and taxis are too ▪ You can take a lot of taxi rides for what it costs to run a expensive. With transit, I car can return.” ▪ It will be hard to use the new services if there is too much time between the outbound and the return trip (i.e. several hours for a return bus) ▪ General agreement that the type of vehicle does not matter as long as it enables people to get from A to B affordably ▪ Having a bus go to London would reduce cab fare expenses if a taxi only had to take them to a nearby bus stop destined to London ▪ I will soon have to stop driving. I’d love to be able to catch a bus in Zurich to go to Grand Bend ▪ Certain things happen only on certain days, such as Food Banks and community kitchens ▪ Suggested approach to have a small bus for local service “As people are getting feeding into a larger bus to go out of town and link up with older and are looking to other transit systems in London and Sarnia not having a driver’s licence, (with Transit) ▪ Long distance connections beyond London would be helpful they would still be able to (e.g. train, bus) get to the places they ▪ LEO’s price to London varies between $35 to $65 need to go. “ ▪ 3 out of the 10 participants said they do not have a cell phone ▪ Masonville Mall in London was identified as a shopping destination ▪ Some small school buses are accessible, and available between 9:00am and 2:30pm and for additional hours during the summer months ▪ There was agreement that school bus seating is uncomfortable for adults and seniors ▪ Concern that some people may be stranded in London if for example there is no service available after an emergency visit ▪ Red Cross accommodates about 20,000 trips per year ▪ Would like to have service 7 days a week; however, there was consensus that even service on select days would be a good first step to enable seniors to shop, get to medical appointments and for leisure activities
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2.3.3 Business Representatives
There were 11 participants representing local businesses and municipalities as well as from Lambton College in Sarnia, providing the following input: ▪ Lack of affordable housing in proximity to where the jobs are located means that jobs cannot get filled and some businesses must close down on some days or reduce their hours of operation ▪ Oakwood Inn currently has 12 Fanshawe Co-op students in residence who will remain on site during the off-season months and want to integrate into the community "I know of small businesses that had to reduce store ▪ Movement of people in Huron Shores should be divided hours and their days of into east-west and north-south directions operation because they ▪ London is a focus because lots of people have to go could not attract employees there for medical treatment who do not drive.” ▪ Tourists are stuck in Grand Bend once they’re there because there is no transportation to Bayfield, etc. ▪ Active transportation (cycling) is unsafe because of road conditions and traffic ▪ The Association for Community Living operates 17 vehicles ▪ There are teens in Exeter who want to work in Grand Bend and Bayfield ▪ Those who find a job can’t find an affordable place nearby to live ▪ Can the revenue lost to businesses by lack of employees be quantified as part of the transit business case? ▪ Employers would pay higher wages to cover transit fares if transit were available ▪ General Coach in Hensall might support transit financially ▪ Shift work makes employee transportation very difficult to accommodate on transit ▪ The Pinery has about 1,000 campsites. Campers might want to get to Forest and Grand Bend without having to drive there ▪ The modest CT grant budget will restrict daily employee-based transit service to only a sub-set of the remote communities of Thetford, Kettle and Stony Point, Ailsa Craig, Lucan, Hensall, Bayfield, Dashwood, St. Josephs, etc. ▪ Lambton College has approximately 130 co-op students in each of three intakes a year. Many of these would like to find a job in Grand Bend but need transportation to get there and back again.
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▪ Consideration can be given to having a student shuttle for co-op students from Lambton College transported in the morning to Lambton Shores and returned late afternoon; this was “Lambton College Co-op considered a potential, immediate market; however, students would like to go fares must be comparable to what they pay with the to Lambton Shores for Lambton College shuttle service in place today their programs and remain ▪ Employers would like to see a focus on accommodating after they graduate.” businesses although they recognize that vulnerable residents also need to be accommodated
2.3.4 Summary of Transit Focus Group Input
Since there is no public transit in the Huron Shores Transit Service Area, the need for affordable transportation impacts many residents, particularly seniors who cannot drive due to financial, physical and cognitive limitations. Employers are struggling to attract employees since there is little or no local accommodation and workers lack affordable means to travel great distances to and from work.
While some residents qualify for volunteer-based and subsidized transportation, eligibility requirements are restrictive, out-of-pocket cost vary, and allowable trip purposes are limited. Many residents’ needs can be accommodated by public transit since the demand tends to be predominantly in the off-peak and late afternoon for shopping, medical, social and recreational purposes. “It costs far too much to Industrial work shifts and the strong local tourism take a taxi to London. If a industry have a latent public transit demand that can vary bus was available, I would from normal business hours to shifts that begin early use it.” morning and end at late night, and which vary by season.
Public transit service is needed for access to goods and services both within and outside the region, notably, to London, Sarnia, Strathroy, and Goderich. Although service within the region can be addressed with the Community Transportation (CT) grant for local service, the funds are limited as are the funds for the CT grant for long-distance travel. Ideally, a public transportation option that meets both needs would maximize the return on investment. Although Goderich is not within the Huron Shores service area, residents could still use Lambton Shores transit service by travelling via other means to connect with it, such as a locally arranged and funded shuttle service.
It was agreed that although the Municipality of Lambton Shores CT grant for local transit services is earmarked for service within the municipality of Lambton Shores, local service should be extended beyond Lambton Shores boundaries within the Huron Shores Transit service area, to maximize transit ridership. It was also pointed out that a proposed bus service between Sarnia and London was initiated by Strathroy-Caradoc on a similar CT grant for long-distance travel; this may provide an opportunity for Huron Shores transit services to link with the Strathroy inter-city bus service in Sarnia, Strathroy and London.
A number of transit service options were discussed such as: ▪ Fixed and Fixed flex-route Community Bus service ▪ Minimum stop inter-city bus service
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▪ Demand-responsive services which use a computer or smartphone app to link with both local and long-distance transit services ▪ Employee shuttles
It was noted by participants that employee shuttles are in place today simply because some employers must provide them. It was determined that opportunities should be explored to incorporate employee travel and shuttles where a business case exists, that is, where it would reduce employers’ transportation costs, while generating ridership and eventually Gas Tax revenues for the Huron Shores transportation services.
In summary, it will not be possible for transit to ‘be all things to all people’ and, since budgets are limited, many community expectations will likely not be met; this was stressed to the Transit Focus Group participants. There was consensus that since the Huron Shores Transit service would be a pilot program, it is important that the service provided at the outset would operate reliably as planned, and then build on early successes to expand over time and within budget.
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3. PUBLIC TRANSIT OPTIONS
Huron Shores residents are heavily dependent on travel as a driver or passenger of a household vehicle. Many residents without access to a personal vehicle rely on service agencies, family and friends for a ride. For those without access to a vehicle, taxis can be used; however, they can be cost-prohibitive in most cases due to the long distances travelled.
To help guide the project steering committee, Transit Consulting Network has provided a brief description of public transit service options available, and advice as to whether or not they should be considered for the Huron Shores Transit service area.
3.1 Long-distance Inter-city Coach Service
The Community Transportation long-distance grant was made available for the pilot programs to link Huron Shores communities to the larger urban areas of London and Sarnia and, if possible, Strathroy. Heavy-duty 45-foot (13.7 metre) high-floor (with steps) coaches that accommodate 50 to 55 passengers are generally used for long-distance travel (several hours). They typically have comfortable seating, room for large parcels, and other amenities such as wi-fi.
The capital cost of up to $700,000 for the inter-city coaches is cost-prohibitive, and the coach is more expensive to operate than other options. Smaller, less expensive vehicles would be more appropriate for the anticipated demand during the 3-year pilot project.
Recommendation: Long-distance heavy-duty coach service should not be considered further for the pilot project.
3.2 Local Conventional Transit Bus Fixed-route Service
Fixed-route conventional transit buses operate along roadways with fixed bus stops in urban areas, whereas rural area residents would generally use a ‘flag stop’ approach. Vehicles are usually of 12.2 metre (40’) heavy-duty transit buses such as those operated in Sarnia and London. Conventional transit buses are low-floor and ramp-equipped to accommodate mobility devices. They have a seating capacity for over 40 passengers and up to two wheelchairs. The 12.2 metre conventional transit buses have a 12- to 15- year life cycle and cost approximately $570,000. It should be noted that smaller 9.2 metre to 10.7 metre (30’ to 35’) heavy-duty buses are also available; however, the cost to purchase remains high (i.e. approximately $430,000). Recommendation: Conventional Transit bus service should not be considered further.
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3.3 Local Community Transit Service
Many smaller and rural communities that have public transit service typically use smaller community buses or large vans which are adequate for the lower passenger loads and suit the need for enhanced maneuverability to travel onsite at key transit destinations such as seniors’ centres, recreational facilities, shopping centres, and hospitals.
3.3.1 Fixed Route Community Bus Service
Unlike conventional transit service, community transit service tends to be less frequent, less direct and to use smaller mid-duty buses or cut-away coach vehicles that can range in size up to 9.1 metres (30’). Prices range from $85,000 to $230,000, with a 5- to 7-year design life, depending on the mileage, local road conditions, climate, and preventive maintenance program.
3.3.2 Fixed-route Shared-ride Taxi
Where demand is minimal, the taxi industry can be used to offer a low-cost option where larger buses are not warranted. An accessible van, or small bus can be used in shared-ride mode. The benefits are lower purchase and operating costs, extended reach for transit, and the ability to familiarize residents with a dependable fixed-route service. Taxis would travel along a set route and schedule and customers would board at designated bus stops, similar to community buses and conventional transit.
Shared-ride taxi vans can be used until larger vehicles are warranted. No dedicated dispatch service is required for this option. Since the taxi vehicles would not offer a door-to-door service and are being shared, the service is not viewed as competing with regular taxis. Contracted taxi service providers could be compensated based on a negotiated hourly or per trip rate. In order to attract a taxi operator(s), a minimum revenue guarantee in the contract is necessary to secure good quality bids.
3.3.3 Dial-a-Ride Transit
Dial-a-Ride service is a demand-responsive curb-to-curb bus or van service whereby residents call in to a dispatch centre, a driver cell phone or use mobile phone app to request service. For regular trips (i.e. daily, weekly, etc.), service can be arranged on a subscription basis so that the customer is not required to call repetitively. Service can be solely in response to requests or can be structured to operate on a fixed frequency basis (e.g. every two hours). In the latter case, the requester is given the next available time the vehicle can arrive to pick him or her up, and an approximate arrival time at destination.
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On the return trip, the process is the same: the customer is required to call and request the trip. Dial-a- Ride service is generally used in place of bus service in areas where population is sparse and demand for service is very low. The need to request each trip and wait for the next available time can make it less convenient for the customer.
3.3.4 Fixed Flex-Route Concept
A fixed flex-route service combines some of the advantages of fixed route transit (predictable service, low cost per passenger) with those of demand-responsive transit services. A fixed flex-route vehicle would follow a normal scheduled route but have the ability to deviate off the route and return to the route within a typical deviation of no more than approximately five (5) minutes to continue their trip. Route deviations for pick-ups must be requested in advance similar to dial-a-ride. Although drop-offs may be requested in advance, they can also be requested on-board. A variation of this type of service is to designate some transit stops as fixed, and some as flex. The fixed stops are always served, whereas the flex stops are visited only on request for a pick-up or drop off.
Recommendation: That all local community transportation options be considered for the local public transit pilot program, while the long-distance pilot program utilize an accessible community bus.
3.4 Demand-responsive Mobile Apps
There are many versions of demand-responsive services that provide residents with the ability to book trips via smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), computers, and through regular telephone land lines. Two examples are addressed – Uber and RideWell.
3.4.1 Uber Taxi Model (Town of Innisfil)
Similar to Dial-a-Ride, the demand-responsive Uber taxi pilot project operated in the Town of Innisfil is a unique service that takes the place of regular transit service. The Uber service requires customers to have a mobile app on their phone; however, a resident can also use a regular phone line to arrange service. Rides are shared with other people. The passenger pays the normal zone-based bus fare ($3.00 or $5.00) while the difference between the fare and the standard Uber charge is subsidized by the Town. Uber provides a discount for non-subsidized trips.
The experience was presented by Town of Innisfil staff at the Ontario Public Transit Association conference on April 23, 2018 with the following highlights given: ▪ The Innisfil communities, in proximity to the City of Barrie, are dispersed over a large geographic area ▪ The program is in its infancy, but was well received and demand has grown to approximately 4 passengers per hour ▪ Residents use the service predominantly for travel within the Town, to GO Transit stops and stations, and to link up with Barrie Transit ▪ At some point it is expected that some fixed-route services could be implemented to replace some Uber service when there is a business case to do so
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▪ In order to have an Uber service option, there needs to be an adequate supply of Uber drivers available either in or close to the municipality, to avoid long, unpaid deadhead trips for drivers, and ensure that service is sufficiently prompt to meet Uber standards. ▪ Although Uber owns the data (i.e. individual information and trip origin-destinations, etc.), data are shared with the Town
More recently, costs of the Uber service in Innisfil have escalated due to increased demand and measures are needed mitigate costs such as limiting availability or, potentially, offering alternative services. In the opinion of Transit Consulting Network, Uber service is not an option for Huron Shores at this time, as Uber does not operate in or near the geographic area. Recommendation: Not to be considered for the community transportation pilot program.
3.4.2 RideWell (Wellington County)
RideWell is a door-to-door on-demand service within the County of Wellington that serves only the rural areas of the County. It began operation as a four-year pilot in October 2019. The service operates two to four sedans within the entire County, with accessible trips contracted to Guelph Taxi. Customers can use a mobile app to book, pay and track their trip. Fares are charged by distance, from $5.00 to $70.00 ($0.60 per kilometer). Customers are requested to provide at least 90 minutes notice to book a ride. This is due to the large geographic area of the County and the objective to optimize rides through ride sharing.
When booking a ride, a minimum of one hour in advance is required. Various pick-up time options will be provided, and the customer can select their preferred departure time. An estimated time of arrival will be provided, which may be reduced if no other rides are found to share with the original booking passenger.
Customers are provided door-to-door service anywhere in the County, and door-to-hub service if they are travelling to Guelph. Two transfer points are provided on the outskirts of Guelph with access to a number of frequent Guelph Transit services. It is anticipated that the service will deliver between 2 and 3 trips per revenue vehicle hour (due to the large geographic area that is serviced).
Recommendation: To be monitored and considered in the future as a local community transportation alternative.
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3.5 Specialized Transit
‘Specialized Transit’ or ‘Paratransit’ generally refers to separate reservation-based public transportation service for people unable to use or access conventional transit. Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) regulations state that municipalities with public transit are not required to provide a separate specialized service but must provide an alternative service for people with disabilities unless it is impracticable to do so. 1 Since the advent of wheelchair accessible buses in Canada in 1992, conventional transit services have been able to meet many of the travel needs of residents who require accessible transportation, and as such, people with disabilities are becoming more integrated into mainstream transit. Some municipalities such as York Region have adopted a conditional eligibility policy under which registered users are required to make all or part of their trip on regular transit if they are able to do so. Relatively few people qualify for unlimited eligibility. This requires many people who previously used only the specialized service to use regular transit some or all of the time. This approach improves efficiencies, reduces costs, provides a return on the investment to make regular transit accessible, and better integrates community residents with disabilities into regular transit, where they have access to spontaneous travel.
As the proposed pilot program evolves, the demand for alternative wheelchair accessible service will become clearer; however, experience in other communities such as Innisfil, the demand for wheelchair accessible service will be low or may be accommodated by existing services such as the Red Cross or Lambton Elderly Outreach.
Recommendation: ▪ That the needs of people who require accessible transportation be addressed by accessible local and long-distance public transit services rather than through a separate specialized transit operation for the pilot programs.
3.6 Short-listed Public Transit Options
Each of the transit service options discussed can meet community needs. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Costs can vary significantly between demand-responsive and fixed-route bus service. Although having frequent and regularly scheduled fixed-route bus service seven days a week, 18 hours a day is desirable, it is impractical given that the significant transit and financial resources that would be needed would greatly exceed the service budget, and could not attract sufficient ridership and fare revenue to offset the high costs due to the low density and wide dispersal of the service area population.
1 AODA regulations state the obligation to provide alternative transportation as follows: “Alternative accessible method of transportation 45. (1) Except where not practicable to do so, a conventional transportation service provider that does not provide specialized transportation services shall ensure that any person with a disability who, because of his or her disability, is unable to use conventional transportation services is provided with an alternative accessible method of transportation.” O. Reg. 191/11, s. 45 (1).
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As a key strategy to introducing public transit service for the first time, it is of paramount importance that financial risk is contained and the market segment with the greatest need is accommodated – those without access to a private vehicle who do not qualify for the existing volunteer and social service-based transportation options in place today. Accommodating work- and school-related trips can be addressed as the hours and frequency of service increase over time.
The study team supported the following short-listed public transportation concepts to be considered for the pilot projects: ▪ Long-distance Inter-Community Fixed Route Bus Service o 20-passenger community bus that accommodates two wheelchair positions o Direct and limited stop service ▪ Local Community Public Transportation o 20-passenger community bus that accommodates two wheelchair positions o Fixed route community bus service linking Forest and Grand Bend via Highway 21 o Scheduled route deviations within urbanized municipalities (e.g. Forest and Grand Bend) to ensure transit is within a 5-minute walk for 90% of residents (400 to 450 metre walk distance guidelines used by Ontario transit systems serving urbanized areas) o Flex-route service can be considered for Ipperwash and Port Franks during the summer period o Fixed route shared-ride taxi or demand-responsive service to link rural communities with the fixed-route bus service along Highway 21 and Highway 4: ▪ Non-wheelchair accessible sedans, vans or small buses may be used; however, there will be a requirement to accommodate wheel-chair passengers and attendants with a designated vehicle or other community-based service provider ▪ Service may be provided on select days only ▪ Linking rural community bus service to the Local or Long-distance buses to be determined prior to implementation
In addition to the aforementioned, existing services such as Lambton Elderly Outreach should be approached to modify eligibility requirements to accommodate some rural community needs, where feasible. Further, social service agencies and the taxi industry should be approached to enable some clients to utilize the long-distance Huron Shores Transit service by transferring clients to buses bound to London or Sarnia. This may be made attractive to taxi providers by offering them more numerous short runs in support of transit to replace some long-distance runs. Although long-distance trips generate high fares, they are time-consuming, degrade local service availability, and often require significant and expensive deadheading and/or waiting time.
The short-listed public transit options reflect best practices and the community priorities identified during the study’s community engagement process and subsequent one-on-one interviews. To assist in the final service and route concept designs for the Transit Feasibility Study, it was important to understand the community dynamics, challenges and opportunities.
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4. DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSIT SERVICE PLAN
The community engagement process enabled the study team to identify public transit priorities. These priorities, coupled with transit best practices, enabled the development of a public transit service strategy that is customized for the challenging Huron Shores Area transit environment. 4.1 Route and Service Design Challenges and Opportunities
In terms of route design and scheduling, there are a number of challenges in the Huron Shores Transit service area that limit cost-effective transit route design options, namely: ▪ Dispersed low-density population centres ▪ Need to accommodate travel to Sarnia from the south end of the service area (e.g. Forest) as well as to London from north end communities (e.g. Grand Bend) ▪ Long travel distances and relatively low population density and demand translates to higher costs per passenger and higher fares required ▪ Since affordable housing in areas of employment is limited, this means that employees typically need to travel further for work trips ▪ Summer season traffic congestion along Highway 21 equates to a reduced seasonal service effectiveness
Although challenges exist, they can be addressed by applying best practices in transit service design and by putting oneself in the shoes of a transit customer. In this regard, opportunities exist to accommodate some community priorities and expectations, namely: ▪ An immediate latent (unexpressed) demand exists since local public transit service is not available today ▪ Lambton College co-op student travel between Sarnia and Huron Shores could be met if the long-distance transit service schedule reflects their needs ▪ Resident expectations are modest in many cases, for example, service one or two days per week in some areas would make a big difference to the quality of life of people without access to fresh food and other necessities which do not require daily travel ▪ The use of mobile apps can help maximize demand-responsive service ▪ Existing volunteer and social service transportation is in place today and as such, critical demand is being met in many cases ▪ Agencies that provide long distance travel can reduce their costs and the cost to clients by enabling some clients to use or be transferred to the long-distance service for most of their trip to either London or Sarnia ▪ The imminent Strathroy-Caradoc long distance service between Sarnia and London via Strathroy along Highway 402 could enable transfers to take place with the Huron Shores Area long- distance service; this would enable residents to be able to travel to by bus to Strathroy if schedules permit
In summary, geographic and demographic challenges of the Huron Shores Transit service area make it difficult for public transit to cost-effectively meet resident needs. Although the need for affordable
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2019 The Municipality of Lambton Shores Transit System Feasibility Study access to jobs, goods and services is great, the reality is that not all expectations can be met when introducing public transit for the first time.
It is also worth noting that since the most populous communities are along Lake Huron on Highway 21, both long-distance and local community fixed route service would likely overlap. Discussions with the Ministry of Transportation CT grant staff revealed that local community transit service costs could be minimized by using the long-distance services to Sarnia and London to carry local passengers on their way through. This would provide additional service to communities served by the Local bus service.
4.2 Recommended Public Transportation Strategy
Based on the community engagement process findings, the study team supported the following pilot project strategies: ▪ A local community public transit fixed route service should be developed within the financial resources available to link Forest to Grand Bend via communities along Highway 21 as a minimum. Route deviations to Ipperwash Beach and Port Franks may be accommodated during the summer months, subject to maintaining schedule adherence on the core local service ▪ The long-distance service should provide residents in the western portion of the Huron Shores Transit service area with direct access to and from Sarnia, while residents in the more eastern communities would have direct access to London-bound service ▪ The Sarnia to Huron Shores long-distance service should address the demand for Lambton College Co-op students and other members of the public to access tourist destinations and businesses along Highway 21 ▪ Since service will be provided between Sarnia and London via Strathroy based on a separate CT Grant approved for Strathroy-Caradoc, residents from the Huron Shores Transit service area could access Strathroy through the Huron Shores service to Sarnia or London ▪ The communities of Thedford and Parkhill could be served with a demand-responsive service that provides residents with a connection to local or long-distance service in Lambton Shores one or two days a week to accommodate shopping or other trip purposes ▪ There should be seamless (timed) connections between the local and long-distance transit services ▪ The buses to be used for both local and long-distance services should have a minimum capacity of 20 seated passengers plus two wheelchair positions ▪ The rural communities without access to the local and long-distance transit services should be provided with a demand-responsive and, when required, wheelchair accessible service to connect residents using sedans, vans or small buses to the fixed-route services ▪ Lambton Elderly Outreach could be encouraged to transport many of their elderly clients to the long-distance bus services destined to both Sarnia and London, thereby reducing their costs and freeing up their vehicles to accommodate their growing demand. In return, Lambton Outreach could be encouraged to provide the demand-responsive service to other rural residents in the Lambton Shores Transit service area that require fully accessible vehicles
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▪ Given the vast rural community service area and the limited budget, it is recognized that the rural service to some areas may only be available on selects days The demand for the long-distance service is difficult to estimate since there is no recent history to draw from and as such, a back-up plan will be necessary. Although a heavy-duty motor coach with 45 or more seats is used by many inter-city transit operators, there is a financial risk that is associated with the high capital and operating costs of this type of vehicle. This is mitigated by using a smaller, less expensive vehicle, and adding an additional vehicle once demand warrants doing so.
One example is, that although Lambton College is confident there will be a significant demand for Co-op student work program travel to Grand Bend, and a demand for students and the general public for day trips, an additional vehicle may be required to address it. If the demand outweighs the capacity of the vehicle (a good problem to have), an additional vehicle could be considered as a ‘double-header’ or additional mid-day bus could be deployed should a business case exists.
In the long-term, a comprehensive public transportation service is desirable and could be feasible. In this regard, it is important that the local and long-distance transportation services funded by the Community Transportation grants be recognized as ‘pilot’ projects based on community priorities. In this regard, the proposed strategy is to first focus on providing quality service to address the most critical human and business needs, rather than disperse resources by trying to address all community needs in what proves to be an inadequate manner. Transit cannot be all things to all people and will fail if it tries to be..
It is expected that as the pilot programs evolve, service can be modified or expanded as determined by the decision-makers (transit governance). For example, as schedules are refined, there may be an ability to accommodate the flexing of the local community bus route to assist those that are unable to walk to the closest bus stop. There was also interest shown for service to link Goderich to the Huron Shores Transit service area; this may be considered but since Goderich is beyond the Community Transportation Grant service area, it would require a fair cost-sharing formula with municipalities outside the service area jurisdictions to pay for it.
4.3 Proposed Route and Service Concepts
The proposed route and service strategy is to have a Local public transit system designed to provide: ▪ Local fixed route service with frequent stops within Forest then travel to a stop in Kettle Point then travel along Highway 21 to Grand Bend with stops in between, where required. There is also the potential to provide flex service to Ipperwash Beach and Port Franks during the summer months ▪ Demand-responsive service on select days that would bring residents to and from Lambton Shores communities (e.g. Thedford and Parkhill) to transfer to either Grand Bend or Forest locally or to Sarnia on the Long-distance service ▪ Demand-responsive service on select days from other rural communities (e.g. Bayfield) that will connect residents to the Local bus service between Forest and Grand Bend or to the Long- distance bus to London
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Two connecting Long-distance bus routes are proposed to offer: ▪ Limited stop service between Sarnia and Grand Bend via Highway 402 and Highway 21 with a stop in Kettle Point ▪ Limited stop service between Grand Bend and London via Highway 21, Highway 83 and Highway 4 to Masonville Place in London
The Huron Shores Transit service area consists of Forest, Kettle Point, Ipperwash, Port Franks, Lambton Shores, Grand Bend, Blue Water, Hensall, Exeter, South Huron, Alisa Craig, Parkhill, Thedford, Arcona, as illustrated in Figure 1 Huron Shores Transit Service Area.
Exhibit 1: Huron Shores Transit Service Area
Two buses will be required at peak times with one of the buses operating as a Local bus during the off- peak (mid-day) period. The route concepts are illustrated in Exhibits 2 and 3.
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Bayfield
Grand Bend Local Public Transit Description: ▪ Fixed local bus route Forest to Grand Bend ▪ Sample of feeder fixed-route or demand-responsive service shown from Bayfield to Grand Bend and Parkhill-Thedford to Lambton Shores Lambton Shores ▪ Other demand-responsive service to both Local and Long-distance Parkhill bus routes will be considered as Thedford ‘Local’) ▪ Potential summer flex-route to Ipperwash and Port Franks
Forest
Exhibit 2: Local Route: Forest to Grand Bend Route
Grand Bend
Forest Local Transit On- demand Feeder Services
London Sarnia Exhibit 3: Long-distance Routes: Sarnia - Grand Bend/ Grand Bend - London
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5. TRANSIT BUSINESS MODEL
Based on the proposed transit service plan, Transit Consulting Network identified how service should be provided - the business model - relative to the routes and services to be implemented. To support the business model, a decision-making process – the governance – needs to be in place. Options range from 100% private to 100% public and are illustrated in Exhibit 4 Business Model Continuum, which outlines the fundamental characteristics of each of the options.
5.1 Transit Business Model Options
There are four business model and governance options described as follows:
Business Model 1: Private Municipal Transit Private Municipal Transit was at one time common throughout North America. Under this model, all capital assets, overall management of the service, as well as operation and maintenance of the vehicles, belong to the private organization, as governed by a contract with the public authority which is vested with the exclusive right to operate transit, and which delegates this right to the contract holder. Oversight and governance of the service is performed by a private sector Board. The private sector also assumes all revenue risk, meaning there may be no public sector operating subsidies provided to the service.
Business Model 2: Private Sector Management & Operations and Public Governance Under this model, the municipality has the responsibility to provide transit service but delegates all functions, including policy and planning, management, operations and maintenance to a contracted service provider. The local authority is responsible for subsidizing operating deficits. Capital investments are made by the contractor and recovered through the contract. High-level oversight and governance are most often the responsibility of the municipal Council, or a publicly appointed Board or Commission, through a contract administrator.
Business Model 3: Public Sector Ownership and Private Sector Management Under this model, the local authority owns the assets and the responsibility to provide transit service. The model ensures transit management and planning functions are retained but delegates actual operations and maintenance to a contractual service provider. The local authority is responsible for subsidizing all operating deficits. Oversight and governance are exercised by the regional or municipal Council, or by a publicly appointed Board or Commission. Either the transit authority or the contractor may own some or all of the assets. This is usually determined by the rules governing capital grants for transit.
Business Model 4: Public Municipal Transit This is probably the most common municipal transit business model in North America. All aspects of the transit service are directly operated by the regional or municipal Council. In some cases, an autonomous transit commission or authority is created. All assets are publicly owned; all planning, and most if not all operations and maintenance functions are performed by public sector employees.
When assessing business model options available, it is important to understand the risks associated with each business model and how it could impact the community.
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Model #1 Model #2 Model #3 Model #4 PRIVATE MUNICIPAL PRIVATE SECTOR PUBLIC SECTOR PUBLIC TRANSIT CONTRACT MANAGEMENT & OWNERSHIP AND MUNICIPAL TRANSIT OPERATIONS and PRIVATE SECTOR PUBLIC GOVERNANCE MANAGEMENT
✓ COMPLETE PRIVATIZATION ✓ PRIVATE POLICY AND STANDARDS ✓ PUBLIC POLICY AND STANDARDS ✓ COMPLETE PUBLIC SERVICE ✓ PRIVATE BOARD OVERSIGHT AND SETTING SETTING ✓ PUBLIC BOARD/ COUNCIL GOVERNANCE ✓ PRIVATE ADMINISTRATION ✓ PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNANCE ✓ REVENUE RISK ✓ PRIVATE SERVICE DELIVERY ✓ PRIVATE SERVICE DELIVERY ✓ PUBLIC REVENUE RISK ✓ PUBLIC REVENUE RISK ✓ PUBLIC BOARD/ COUNCIL ✓ PUBLIC BOARD/ COUNCIL OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNANCE OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNANCE
Exhibit 4: Business Model Continuum
5.2 Preferred Transit Business Model
Since public transit would be new to the Huron Shores Transit service area, there is currently no local experience at the municipal staff level relative to transit management, operations and maintenance. In order to maximize success of the Local and Long-distance Transit pilot programs, a Transit ‘champion’ will be needed to oversee Transit performance and be the key liaison between the public and the governing body. A key recommendation of the study is to hire a Transit Coordinator who would have the responsibility of being the Transit champion.
The Municipality of Lambton Shores has taken the initiative to represent Huron Shores municipalities as a conduit to facilitate the Province of Ontario Community Transportation Grant Program. This does not mean, however, that Lambton Shores necessarily be solely responsible in the long-term should the transit service continue beyond the pilot program period. For the purpose of the pilot programs, a Transit Advisory Committee (TAC) could be formed to provide the governance needed. All municipalities with a financial contribution to the pilot projects should be represented on this committee.
It is suggested that the TAC membership have the following participation during the pilot program: ▪ Voting members o Three municipal councillors (two from larger communities, one from a rural community) o Two business community representatives o One seniors representative o One representative of the disabled community o Two members from the general public
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▪ Non-voting members (advisors) o Transit Coordinator o Municipal financial staff member who understands the budget process o Lambton Elderly Outreach representative
Currently, the Transit Feasibility Study involves the participation of active Huron Shores Transit Steering Committee members with oversight provided by the Municipality of Lambton Shores. For the purposes of the pilot program, the TAC would report to the Municipality of Lambton Shores.
In the long-term, it is recommended that the Business Model 3, Public Sector Ownership and Private Sector Management be adopted whereby the Transit Advisory Committee would be responsible for public transit management and planning on behalf of the municipality or participating municipalities. The operations and maintenance functions would be delegated to one or more contracted service providers. To mitigate financial risk when starting out, it is recommended that the vehicle ownership initially rest with the transit service provider. The vehicle investment made by the contractor would be recovered through the contract. Should service be continued after the pilot program (post March 2023), future vehicles should be purchased though the TAC or municipalities to take advantage of external funding opportunities that are not available to the private sector.
Recommended Business Model 3 can be more fully addressed as a next step following approved implementation of the pilot program and as the pilot program evolves.
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6. TRANSIT FINANCIAL PLAN
The following steps were taken to develop the Huron Shores Area Transit Financial Plan: ▪ Detailed review of the CT Grant budgets submitted to the Province of Ontario ▪ Confirm assumptions to be used for the Financial Plan with the Municipality of Lambton Shores ▪ Confirm assumptions and budget strategy with the Provincial CT Grant office ▪ Revise Local and Long-distance pilot program budgets
Since the pilot programs are only three years in length, best practices dictate that the services should be contracted out while oversight could be provided by a third party that represents the Municipality of Lambton Shores as the CT Grant representative for area municipalities.
6.1 Public Transportation Financial Plan Assumptions
The CT Grant agreement between the Municipality of Lambton Shores and submitted to the Province of Ontario assumed the following for the April 30, 2020 to March 31, 2023 period: ▪ Local CT Project expenditures of $719,100, farebox revenues of $219,100 and a net expenditure of $500,00 ($482,500 CT Grant + $17,500 Transit Administration Expense Contribution) ▪ Long Distance CT Project expenditures of $$1,695,250, farebox revenues of $195,250 and a net expenditure of $1,500,000 ($1,4842,500 CT Grant + $15,500 Transit Administration Expense Contribution)
In order to develop the Local and Long-distance budgets, a number of assumptions were made for the costs, ridership and revenues.
6.1.1 Transit Costing
The detailed budget line items submitted by the Municipality of Lambton Shores have been condensed to reflect a contracted-out private sector service provider, which would incorporate the details when submitting an all-inclusive and negotiated hourly rate. When budgeting costs, there would be three categories: ▪ Capital investments needed to support transit operations, such as: o Technology o Bus stops ▪ Fixed costs incurred by the Municipality, which would be incurred regardless of the amount of service provided, such as: o Transit co-ordinator o Legal, Consultant and technology support o Marketing and communications o General administration o Bus stop maintenance
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▪ Variable hourly contractor costs, which would be based on the quantity of service provided (i.e. hours of service)
In each of the local and long-distance grants, a bus lease cost estimate was submitted ($76,050 and $227,925, respectively); however, given the short three-year pilot program, it was determined that the vehicle portion of the costs would be incurred by the service provider and incorporated into a transit operating agreement (i.e. variable hourly contractor costs).
Given that the Local and Long-distance buses are likely to be integrated (i.e. a Long-distance bus would convert to a Local bus service for portion of its runs), the fixed costs would be shared between the Local and Long-distance budgets at a ratio that is established by the total CT grant amounts. The total CT Grant of amount is $2,000,000 with $500,000 allocated to Local transit and $1,500,000 allocated to Long-distance bus service. Based on this rationale, for every $100 of shared costs, $25 would be allocated to the Local service budget, while $75 would be allocated to the Long-distance service budget.
Based on the experience of the Transit Consulting Network team, hourly-based costs can vary from $65 to $80 per hour for fixed-route buses (20-passenger buses with two wheelchair positions) and from $50 to $65 per hour for smaller vehicles used for demand-responsive and some fixed-route service. For conservative cost estimating purposes, the higher values will be used for each type of service.
6.1.2 Transit Ridership and Revenue Forecasting
Although there is no history to draw from to provide relatively accurate transit ridership forecasting, there is transit ridership data provided by municipalities throughout Ontario that are submitted to the Province of Ontario in order to receive dedicated Transit gas tax funding.
6.1.2.1 Estimating Transit Ridership
The latest consolidated data is in the 2017 Canadian Urban Transit Association/ Ministry of Transportation Ontario (CUTA/ MTO) Urban Transit Factbook and Ontario Specialized Transit Services Factbook. Relative statistics by municipality reporting can vary significantly given the variance in the relative quantity of service (e.g. annual service hours per capita), effectiveness of the service (passengers per capita) and the efficiency of service, which is expressed in passengers per hour of service.
For the purpose of estimating transit use, a review of the number of passengers per hour of service that was reported for Ontario public transit systems that serve municipalities of less than 50,000 population was undertaken. The rationale for using this statistic is that the level of service of public transit in Lambton Shores would be minimal compared to the majority of reporting transit systems.
To estimate the Local transit ridership, the following statistics were reported in 2017 for municipalities with less than 50,000 population: ▪ Fixed Route Transit: 11.47 passengers per hour of service ▪ Specialized Transit (demand-responsive accessible service): 3.41 passengers per hour of service
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To be conservative for budgeting purposes, it is recommended that the Local Community Transit service (fixed route) would attract 4.0 passengers per hour in the first year then build to 5.0 passengers per hour in the third year of operation. The rural communities served by demand-responsive transit is estimated to carry 2.0 passengers per hour of service in the first year then increase to 3.0 passengers per hour by the third year.
To estimate the Long-distance transit service ridership, there are insufficient CUTA statistics to draw upon given that the CT Grant program pilot projects are in their infancy. For budgeting purposes, it was determined that conservatively estimating 10.0 passengers per round trip (4 to 5 passengers per hour) for the first year would be used based on the input received during the Transit Focus Group and other consultations. Within a few months of operation, the budgets can be adjusted to reflect more accurate transit ridership data. For example, if the demand from Sarnia to Grand Bend is beyond expectations, ridership estimates can quickly be adjusted and, if necessary, additional resources may be deployed.
6.1.2.2 Estimating Transit Revenues
When establishing a transit fare structure, one must balance the cost of service with affordability for the transit customer and, in the long-term, the taxpayer. Approximately one-third of the cost to operate local fixed route transit systems was recovered through the transit farebox of all Ontario Transit systems serving a population of less than 50,000 in 2017. The average fare reported was $1.73 with adult cash fares being the highest at $3.13 and child fares were discounted to an average $2.20 cash fare. The Ontario transit systems reporting have much shorter routes than those to be proposed for Huron Shores Transit services, which would justify a higher fare.
Local Community Bus Fares The strategy proposed with respect to setting fares is recommended as follows: ▪ A single cash fare will be the highest fare ▪ A single cash fare will apply to all passenger categories ▪ Concession fares (discounts) should only apply to pre-purchased fares such as multiple ticket purchases or smart cards at a discount of approximately 20% ▪ Pre-school children accompanied by an adult should ride for free
Given the long-distance travel that will be realized for the local service (i.e. 30 kilometres from Forest to Grand Bend), fares should be higher than the Ontario average where routes are generally within a smaller urban environment. For budgeting purposes, it is suggested that the average one-way fare be established at $5.00. Concession fares such as single person passes, or family passes could be addressed in 2021.
Long-distance Bus Fares To simplify the fare system, it is proposed that there be a zone-based fare system in place between Sarnia and London through Lambton Shores, which is in-line with other Long-distance services under the CT Grant program.
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The proposed zone-fare system is recommended as follows: Zone 1 Sarnia and Forest (46 km): $5 Zone 2 Forest to Grand Bend (30 km): $5 (note: same fare as Local bus service) Zone 3 Grand Bend to Exeter and Huron Park (32 km): $5 Zone 4 Huron Park to London (31 km): $5
Given that the bus service demand is between Sarnia and Grand Bend and from London to Grand Bend, an average fare of $10 per passenger has been estimated.
6.2 Proposed Transit Service Levels
The amount of revenue hours of service for the long-distance and local transit services was determined by first estimating those costs that will be incurred regardless of how many hours of service are provided (i.e. fixed costs). The remaining CT grant budget would then be allocated to one or more contracted service providers. The Contractor would then quote on the public’s scheduled revenue hours of service (i.e. when transit fares are collected) and ‘deadhead’ hours. The deadhead hours represent the time taken to travel to a route starting point from a Contractor’s garage and the time needed to return to the garage when the vehicle has completed its revenue service. The fewer the hours needed for deadheading, the more revenue hours of service that can be made available for the same budget.
Transit Consulting Network developed a preliminary transit service plan for budgeting purposes, which would be subject to change depending on the successful proponent’s final contracted costs. The service plan described in Section 4.3 Proposed Route and Service Concepts provides for the following service schedules:
Exhibit 5: Fixed Route Local and Long-distance Bus Route Schedule
Two buses are proposed to operate between Sarnia and Grand Bend (Bus 1) and Grand Bend and London (Bus 2), providing two round trips per day. To minimize deadhead costs, Bus 2, upon return to Grand Bend from London would then operate as a local bus service between Forest and Grand Bend while Bus 1 would remain in Sarnia. On a daily basis, Bus 1 and 2 would provide approximately 9.5 hours of Long-distance revenue hours of service per day (7 days per week) while Bus 2 would also provide 4.0 hours of Local bus service per day (weekdays only).
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For budgeting purposes, it was determined that the more costly Long-distance service would, at a minimum, accommodate two round trips per day to link Huron Shores Transit service area residents to both Sarnia and London. Although the hours of service for the Local bus (Bus 1) approximates 4.0 hours per day between Forest and Grand Bend during the mid-day period, Long-distance buses can also be used for local travel between Forest and Grand Bend before and after the mid-day service provided by Bus 2.
6.3 Pilot Project Budgets
6.3.1 Long-distance Pilot Project Budget
Exhibit 6: Long-distance Transit Pilot Project Budget illustrates the preliminary budget items based on the CT grant information submitted to the Province of Ontario for the 11-month period May 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021 and the subsequent 12-month periods (April 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022 and April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023). On an annualized (12 month) basis and assuming a cost of $80 per hour, an estimated 5,228 hours of Contracted service could be provided annually. This equates to approximately 14 hours of contracted service all-year 7 days per week, excluding Christmas Day.
Exhibit 6: Long-distance Transit Pilot Project Budget
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The net cost (cost less total all fare revenues) represents the $1,500,000 Long-distance CT grant less estimated costs incurred prior to May 1, 2020 implementation. The actual budget will be subject to change.
6.3.2 Local Transit Pilot Project Budget
Exhibit 7: Local Transit Pilot Project Budget illustrates the preliminary budget items based on the CT grant information submitted to the Province of Ontario for the 11-month period May 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021 and the subsequent 12-month periods (April 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022 and April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023). On an annualized (12 month) basis and assuming an average cost of $65 per hour, an estimated 2,417 hours of Contracted service would be provided. This equates to approximately 9.5 hours of contracted service on weekdays only, excluding statutory holidays. While 4.0 hours per days is allocated to the fixed-route Local service, an estimated 5.5 hours of service per day would be available for demand-responsive service to accommodate the more rural communities not served by the Long- distance and Local fixed-route services.
Exhibit 7: Local Transit Pilot Project Budget
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The net cost (cost less total of all fare revenues) represents the $500,000 Long-distance CT grant less estimated costs incurred prior to May 1, 2020 implementation. The actual budget will be subject to change.
6.3.3 Other Transit Costs and Revenues
The pilot project budgets reflect preliminary cost estimates and estimated fare revenues for conservative budgeting purposes. Other revenue opportunities can be explored to reduce the net costs and expand service, such as bench advertising, exterior bus advertising and contracted shuttles such as monthly supermarket shuttles for seniors’ residences. These should be explored during implementation of the pilot programs.
6.3.4 Dedicated Gas Tax Funding
For every litre of gasoline sold in Ontario, the Province currently provides two cents to municipalities that help fund local public transit. Municipalities that do not fund transit do not share in the gas tax revenues. The current Ontario Gas Tax Program provides for up to 75% reimbursement to the Municipality for every dollar, which is defined as ‘Municipality’s Own Spending’ (MOS). MOS is the sum of municipal contributions to transit through taxation for operating costs, plus passenger revenues received, and donations from the private sector.
In 2019, 107 municipalities received a share of a dedicated transit tax collected by the Province. Each municipality’s share of the gas tax pool is based on a formula that weights ridership at 70%, and population by 30%. It is, therefore, important that each municipality in the Huron Shores service area apply to become a Gas Tax recipient, so that their population will be counted towards the Gas Tax allocation. To become a Gas Tax recipient, each municipality in Huron Shores must pass a Council resolution which specifies the minimum amount it will contribute each year to support public transportation.
Using the funding envelope and data from the 2018-19 program year, the following amounts on a per ride and per capita basis allocated to participating municipalities can be used to estimate a total possible allocation: Input Unit of Calculation Funding Amount/ Unit Ridership Per ride $0.30 Population Per person $8.44
It should be noted that the allocation values are subject to change, depending on the size of the funding envelope (i.e. how much gas was sold) and the total ridership and population of all municipalities participating in the Gas Tax program in a given year.
The Huron Shores Transit service area population of 35,000 people is distributed among: Lambton Shores (11,000), South Huron (10,000), North Middlesex (7,000), and Bluewater (7,000). Based on this combined population, annual Gas Tax revenues based on population alone are estimated at $295,000 per year. Every 10,000 one-way trips, an additional $3,000 would be received for a total of $298,000.
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Each municipality that supports either its own, or a partner’s public transportation service is allocated its share in the provincial pool of funds, which it can then transfer to the transportation service. Provincial Gas Tax funds are paid to the municipality, not to the transportation service provider, and they must be used by the municipality to support the transportation service.
It should be noted that all Huron Shores partner municipalities have registered with the Canada Revenue Agency as Qualified donees, which empowers them to issue income tax receipts for donations. The municipalities can encourage donations to the transit services by offering income tax receipts in return. This might be of particular interest to high-income residents of the Huron Shores communities who are looking for ways to reduce their income tax. Further information is available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/charities-giving/other-organizations-that-issue- donation-receipts-qualified-donees.html.
Gas Tax funds cannot be used to support their Local and Long-distance pilot projects; however, they can be placed in a reserve fund and used after the pilot projects end in March 2023 to maintain or expand the service.
6.4 Future Transit Ridership Growth Strategies
Although there is no transit ridership to build on, a number of best practices strategies relative to growing transit use in the future have been identified for future consideration and are summarized in the foregoing.
6.4.1 Travel Training
Travel training is for people of all ages and abilities who need additional knowledge and skills in order to use transit effectively. The following groups are potential candidates for a Travel Training Program: ▪ Individuals with physical disabilities ▪ People with certain sensory disabilities ▪ People with cognitive or intellectual disabilities ▪ Individuals with communication disabilities ▪ Seniors not familiar with taking the bus ▪ New immigrants
The materials and principles can be adapted to suit individuals with a wide range of abilities and can be supplemented with a public information guide. The manual would be divided into comprehensive sections that cover everything one needs to know and understand when taking the bus and should contain both text and photos to help with assimilation and enable the customer to use the bus system safely and with confidence. Travel training provides the link between wanting to make a journey and actually making the trip.
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There are travel training programs available across Canada that can be used to develop one for Huron Shores residents that can be used by various agencies and caregivers. The ‘myRide’ Travel Training manual originally developed by the study team project team members, Wally Beck and Charles Fitzsimmons, for York Region Transit in 2007 is one excellent example of a transit travel training program. https://www.yrt.ca/en/riding-with-us/myride-travel-training.aspx
6.4.2 Social Service Agency Clients
The range of clients served by the various government agencies such as Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), youth and seniors support services, generally require affordable transportation for their clients. Social agencies defray some client transportation costs through mileage reimbursement or the purchase of bus tickets where transit is available. Consideration can be given to investigating the business case for the various government agencies to provide clients with monthly bus passes that would provide for unlimited travel, thus enabling them to integrate more fully into the community.
Lambton Elderly Outreach (LEO) is an example of a successful volunteer-based agency that provides eligible clients with subsidized transportation. LEO’s ambulatory clients, and relatively independent clients who use a wheelchair could use the local and long-distance public transit services for all or part of their journey. For example, an ambulatory client near Grand Bend could be transferred to the Long- distance bus service to London rather than being transported in a volunteer vehicle, which could then be freed up for other clients. This helps mitigate the impact of the growing demand for Lambton Elderly Outreach and it could save travel costs for clients, which are reported to range from $13 to $80 for travel to London.
6.4.3 Better Accommodating Employee Shifts
The public transit pilot program does not generally meet the needs of most employees (e.g. to accommodate normal business hours and day shift work). Adding buses and starting service earlier and ending later is cost-prohibitive; however, low cost alternatives do exist. The demand-responsive shared- ride feeder service suggested for the pilot program can be expanded to provide employee-based work trips while also being used by the general public. The Sarnia to Grand Bend service is one example of a Long-distance shuttle whereby Lambton College students could access work programs in Grand Bend.
6.4.4 Regional Transit Integration
Information-sharing between Huron Shores Transit and neighbouring services, such as Strathroy- Caradoc’s bus to London and Sarnia would open the door to coordination between the two services. Harmonizing Huron Shores Transit and Strathroy-Caradoc schedules to make connections possible between the two services and promoting the connection in marketing materials would help increase revenues and share marketing initiatives. This coordination could be taken to the next level by working out fare integration between the two services as well.
The South-Central Ontario Region Economic Development Corporation (SCOR EDC) is taking the lead in bringing CT grant project communities together to share information and begin working on coordination
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2019 The Municipality of Lambton Shores Transit System Feasibility Study and interoperability between neighbouring services. Among projects it is investigating and discussing with CT project municipalities are: • A common web site such as Google Transit, where the public could find information for planning regional trips on public transportation: regional community transportation services, their routes, connections, stop times, fares, telephone numbers and web page information. • The development of a common, shareable smartphone app by which the public can access information for the whole region, plan a trip, request a ride or a booking, and pay the fare electronically.
Huron Shores projects are represented at the SCOR EDC coordination meetings by Lambton Shores. The first meeting for this purpose was held in Tillsonburg on October 21, 2019. A follow-up meeting is being planned for later in 2019 or early in 2020.
6.4.5 Enhanced Marketing and Branding
In conjunction with the implementation of new transit service, there would be an opportunity to build on previous Lambton Shores marketing studies, and brand the entire transit system by adopting clear and consistent messaging through a communications plan. Branding builds and enhances transit system visibility by communicating a clear message to existing and potential transit customers that this is their transit service.
The very basic aspects of branding would consist of common and universal images throughout the following components of the transit system: ▪ Bus stops signs that are prominent and are accessible ▪ Posted schedules and route maps at major bus stops ▪ System route maps (printed, online and posted) ▪ Fonts (including AODA compliance with font size and contrasting colours) ▪ Service announcements, detours, route changes, etc. ▪ Maximizing the use of social media
6.4.6 Bike Racks on Buses
Active transportation has been playing a significant role in the overall transportation choice across Canada. One active transportation market that can be accommodated by transit are those that travel by bicycle. Bike racks on buses are now becoming the norm for public transit systems.
Bike racks allow transit customers to bicycle to transit stops, mount their bicycle on one of two bike mounts then board the bus. At the end of a trip, the cyclists can then continue their journey. Doing so expands the transit market potential and is a step towards a successful active transportation strategy that does not unduly burden the ability of buses to maintain schedules. Given the comments in Transit Focus Groups about the dangerous cycling conditions due to narrow, congested roads in the area, with heavy tourist traffic in summer months, bike racks could offer cyclists an attractive, safer alternative to get to and from tourist destinations and places of employment.
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6.4.7 Realtime Passenger Information
Real time passenger information via smart phone mobile apps, personal digital assistants (PDA) and from home computers is a desirable feature. The availability of real time schedule information will enable transit customers to reduce the waiting time at bus stops by obtaining next bus stop arrival times, which will be helpful during inclement weather conditions when service can be delayed.
6.4.8 Summary of Transit Ridership Growth Strategies
The transit ridership growth strategies based on best practices were identified for the Huron Shores Transit steering committee to implement over time. It is worth noting that increasing transit coverage, expanding hours of operation, improved technology, and enhanced community awareness will result in increased transit use. Increased transit use would increase dedicated transit gas tax funding, if the municipalities qualify as recipients. The increased funding can, in turn, be re-invested into additional transit service.
6.5 Future Transit Investments
The Local and Long-distance Transit pilot programs, which terminate on March 31, 2023 will provide an opportunity for municipalities to assess the benefits of public transit and, more importantly, to understand what the sustainable local taxpayer cost will be if they decide to continue the services after the Community Transportation grants come to an end.
The probable future net cost to municipalities will emerge more clearly over the course of the pilot programs, as they seek opportunities to grow revenues and identify services that should be reduced, expanded or eliminated based on Transit demand. Furthermore, decisions will need to be made whether to continue with both the Long-distance and Local Transit services or simply support local service. Unlike many other communities, such as Stratford-Perth, whose pilot projects are only for long- distance fixed-route services, Huron Shores is in the enviable position of having pilots for both long- distance and local services, which will complement and feed passengers to each other. This is a great advantage from the standpoint of long-term sustainability.
The cost of the services beyond the pilot programs was estimated based on the estimated dedicated gas tax that would be realized using the 2018-2019 amounts received by municipalities (i.e. $8.44 per capita and $0.30 per transit passenger), transit use of 5.0 and 4.0 passengers carried per hour for the long- distance and local services, respectively, and the estimated contractor costs. These are illustrated in Exhibit 8: Long-distance and Local Transit Budget Post-Pilot Programs.
The estimates provided will, of course, vary based on actual costs, potential fuel escalation costs, additional investments in transit infrastructure that may be required, potential vehicle purchases that may be needed based on the business model that is used, transit ridership and revenues received.
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Exhibit 8: Long-distance and Local Transit Budget Post-Pilot Programs
The estimated annual net cost of $79,463 represents a net investment of $2.28 per capita (total population), which is well below the $19.85 per total population provincial average of municipalities with less than 50,000 population in 2017. It should be pointed out that the gas tax amounts reflect the total municipal population of the Transit service area and participation in the Gas Tax program by all municipalities served. More accurate estimates will be needed during the third year of the pilot programs.
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6.6 Recommendations In order to move towards implementation of public transit service, it is recommended that the Municipality of Lambton Shores approve the following in principle: ▪ The proposed Transit route, service plan and budget, that is in line with the Long-distance and Local Community Transportation grant application ▪ The formation of a Transit Advisory Committee ▪ To undertake Phase III to secure the services of a qualified transit service provider to operate the Local and Long-distance pilot programs ▪ That the transit service provider shall provide the vehicles necessary to support the transit service ▪ With Phase III consultant support, to commence service implementation by May 2020
Approval in principle of the aforementioned recommendations should provide the flexibility to modify the route and service plan during the next stage to make public transit service in the Huron Shores area a reality.
6.7 Transit Service Delivery Next Steps Upon approval of the Transit Feasibility Study, a number of next steps will need to be undertaken by the Municipality of Lambton Shores in cooperation with the Transit Advisory Committee. These next steps include: ▪ Hire a Transit Co-ordinator ▪ Confirm the final route and service plan ▪ Identify bus stops locations, install bus stop signage, where safe and appropriate; this will require involvement by municipal staff and First Nations staff ▪ Determine the purchasing process to secure a transit service provider to: o Supply the appropriate transit vehicles, including spare vehicle o Secure the appropriate vehicle fare collection and monitoring technology o Provide front line customer service ▪ Select a transit service provider(s) and enter into a transit operating agreement ▪ Liaise with Lambton College and local businesses to maximize use of the Long-distance route between Sarnia and Grand Bend ▪ Confirm the public transit service start date ▪ Investigate opportunities to work with existing volunteer-based service providers ▪ Finalize the zone-based fare structure ▪ Liaise with Sarnia Transit, London Transit and Strathroy-Cardoc relative to transfers ▪ Marketing and branding of the transit service It is of paramount importance that all municipalities and First Nations, through the Municipality of Lambton Shores or the Transit Advisory Committee be made aware of the transit feasibility study findings, the merits of public transit and the community transportation pilot projects. It should also be pointed out that although the amount of service provided is within the CT grant amounts, additional service can be implemented, if desired, which would require added municipal contributions. This can also be addressed as a next step.
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APPENDIX A Project Launch Meeting
MEETING NOTES: TRANSIT STEERING COMMITTEE AUGUST 8, 2019
ATTENDEES
LESLIE BELL, HOME 4 GOOD, BAYFIELD MATTHEW THOMAS, BENDBUS ARLENE TIMMINS, HOME 4 GOOD, BAYFIELD KAREN RICKERS, MUN. OF BAYFIELD MICHAEL GHANTIR, MUN. NORTH MIDDLESEX GLEN BAILLIE, TRANSIT STEERING COMMITTEE CINDY MAXFIELD, GRAND BEND COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE JANET FERGUSON, MUN. LAMBTON SHORES LORI CHOUINARD, STAR TAXI LAURA GREAVES, SARNIA LAMBTON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD MR. SOUTHCOTT, GRAND BEND ROTARY CLUB CHARLES FITZSIMMONS, TRANSIT CONSULTING NETWORK
1. VISION OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR: ▪ THE FUTURE LOCAL SERVICE TO CONNECT COMMUNITIES WITHIN HURON SHORES? ▪ THE INTERCITY SERVICE TO CONNECT PEOPLE IN HURON SHORES WITH SARNIA AND LONDON?
2. TRANSIT SURVEY 2018: WHAT DID IT TELL US? a. The consensus seems to be that us the survey has some useful information about needs from the general public and interested parties. b. However, there are many needs, and in order to plan successful transit systems, we have to identify opportunities, which are needs accompanied by the intention to use, and the ability to pay. This means taking some of the survey information with a grain of salt, and carefully validating ability to pay and intention to use transit with the populations we are considering serving. c. For this, taxi providers have a lot of valuable, detailed, information about who is taking their services, where they are going, why they are going and who is paying. Because taxi fares are high, and the ability to share rides to reduce what each passenger has to pay is still very limited, very limited ability share rides between passengers to reduce the costs, taxis cannot serve all needs d. It is very noteworthy that the largest taxi provider observed that the core and largest part of their trips are paid for by businesses and agencies, not individual people. e. Also, that government agencies do very little to coordinate the trips they are buying so as to save money. Either they can’t, because the rides are transporting abuse survivors or vulnerable children, and therefore the rides cannot be shared, or else they have no pattern of cooperation, are not required to coordinate with between agencies, or don’t make the effort. f. The new services cannot be all things to all people; priorities must be set for addressing the most important opportunities first.
g. The critical needs in general are getting to and from work, providing access to essential goods and services, and helping people age in place by enabling them to connect to medical, recreational, and social activities that support health and contentment and overcome isolation 3. Other information to help plan the projects a. The committee members agreed to collect information on local fleets, their vehicles, accessibility features (if any), what clients they serve, what areas they serve, and who to contact for more information. b. The committee members also agreed that they would meet again in mid or late September to discuss the information they have collected and provide other input. c. Note: caution is needed in structuring the involvement of representatives of potential providers such as BendBus and Star Taxi so that they will not be excluded from future service procurements due to consultative assistance to the Feasibility Study.
4. General information on transportation needs a. Lambton College in Sarnia will have 600 foreign students enrolled in 2019-2020. The students’ visas permit them to work up to 20 hours a week, and many of them need to work at job placements or want to work for income. The Huron Shores project should work with Lambton and Fanshawe Colleges about opportunities in this regard. b. Hayters Turkeys in Dashwood runs 14-passenegr shuttles to bring workers from London. c. Oakwood Hotel employs 150 people, and is chronically short of about a dozen staff, d. Dashwood Windows recently relocated to Strathroy from South Huron due to lack of affordable transportation for employees e. Work-related transportation in Huron Shores is a serious problem for economic development. The municipalities that make up Huron Shores are shrinking in population: farm mechanization and reduced need for labour, low birthrate, small towns losing many services so that people can’t remain unless they have a car, etc. f. The importance of migrant workers to the economy is significant. However, there is a housing shortage while farms and factories, hotels, etc. often do not pay enough for workers to afford a car. g. Exeter has a younger average population than other Huron Shores communities h. Some people in Ailsa Craig want to travel to Strathroy; however, Start Taxi says their trips from Ailsa Craig to Grand Bend have tripled over the past three years. i. People in Bayfield reportedly need to travel primarily to and from Grand Bend, which is outside the Huron Shores service area. However, it is within the OneCare service area, and if OneCare works with the project, travel to and from Grand Bend may be possible. j. Food preparation workers at hotels and restaurants are an ongoing need in Grand Bend and Bayfield. These workers typically start late morning and work into mid-evening. k. An earlier survey of employers’ labour needs (2016-2017) showed a spread of about 90 minutes (6 AM to 7:30 AM) in day shift intake times (and finish times), which suggests that employers could be persuaded to group their shift start and finish times so that employees could get to and from work on transit, and also offer employees a guaranteed ride home by taxi if the shift has to run late. l. Potential for thematic approaches to transportation to sharpen the focus and also determine who is invited to join a work group. Examples: A food security working group to bring together food stores and food banks, social agencies, health care agencies, fund-
raisers such as the Grand Ben Rotary Club, and transportation providers to look at possible solutions such as a Shopping Bus that serves a different geographic sector of Huron Shores one day per week; has business, agency and service club sponsorship (possibly Nevada ticket concession from OLG), and is planned to also address social needs of transit customers such as allowing time for stop at Tim Hortons, etc. m. The Bend Bus (now completing its second year of operations) ▪ links Kitchener to Goderich and Grand Bend, and London (Masonville Mall bus terminal) to Grand Bend; ▪ fares are $20 round trip, equal to the cost of pay-parking in Grand Bend; ▪ 1/3 of the passengers are students, 1/3 are low-income families, and 1/3 are people 55+ who prefer not to drive. ▪ It uses school buses out of season, for low cost. ▪ Departure times (Kitchener 9:00 AM and London 10 AM), are designed to get people to the beaches by 11:00 AM. ▪ Return trips depart at 5:00 PM. The drivers spend the day in the beach communities on paid time, but are idle during the day until their return departure time of 5 PM. ▪ There may be potential to have the Bend Bus do one or two local runs during its down times in Grand Bend and Goderich. n. One participant said: “We need a survey that quickly finds out who needs the services and will use them, so that we can plan services that will be used.” o. Star Taxi has developed an app of its own that has GPS (GPS unit is installed in each taxi); it shows the location of each of its vehicles, what the vehicle capacity is, and enables the dispatcher to plan the trips the day before based on bookings, and then fit in on-demand trips on the day of service. p. Seniors isolation is now recognized as a serious problem for Aging in Place. Area public libraries are forming coffee and conversation groups to address the need for socialization, but transportation is an issue. If the new local transportation service served a different geographic sector of Huron Shores each weekday, it could link seniors in outlying areas with social and other necessary activities. This is an example of a great need that does not require daily service to the same areas, and could, therefore, be addressed very economically. Since supports for Aging in Place are a strategic objective of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, it might contribute money, or be part of an alliance to support the transportation service. q. The Virtual High School in Bayfield is a major employer with a large, well-paid staff and should be contacted to ascertain its unmet transportation needs and opportunities. r. Lambton College in Sarnia is a node for buses s. One approach the future transit services could explore is to use existing transportation services, and pay them a direct subsidy, or a user-side subsidy (like taxi scrip programs in several Ontario municipalities) so that they can expand and extend the services they offer. This approach would avoid competing with and weakening these services. t. Contact should be made with Ontario Works and the Centre for Employment and Training in Clinton, Wingham and Goderich to propose an alliance that will help meet their transportation needs more economically so that more clients can avail themselves of training and ride-to-work subsidies so that employers have better access to workers
APPENDIX B Existing Transportation Services in Huron Shores
Service Name Details
Angel Care Transportation services for registered clients Home Visits 232 Bessborough Dr E, Sarnia, ON; Registered clients only. BendBus Weekend tourist transportation from London and Kitchener to Grand Bend https://www.bendbus.ca; only active in summer months; uses school buses; fare is equal to day parking fee for Grand Bend; bus arrives at about 1:00 AM, return bus departs at 5 or 5:30; owner says the bus and driver are idle on paid time between 11 and 5 and could do local runs. Fares: London to Grand Bend; Payment system: Stripe; email receipt is presented for travel; refunds available up to 12 hours before travel time; weather cancellations notified up to 12 hours before departure1. Adult - $25 roundtrip / $17 one-way Child - $12.50 roundtrip / $9 one-way Senior - $20 roundtrip / $15 one-way Buddy Pass - $45 roundtrip / $30 one-way Note: Possibility of a GB to Goderich via Bayfield run for shopping, etc. This would address the needs of Bayfield people to go to Goderich - Bayfield representatives at August 8 Steering Committee meeting stated that Goderich is the most important destination for Bayfield residents. Canadian Wheels of Hope Transportation Program transportation to cancer related Cancer Society appointments Sarnia - Christina St N; 519-332-0042; Service: Wheels of Hope Transportation Program; Assist with transportation to cancer related appointments, if you cannot get there on your own. Must have cancer diagnosis and be ambulatory Canadian Red Operates two volunteer-based transportation programs Cross Adrian 519-332-6380; Transportation Has about a dozen vehicles; all drivers are volunteers Program, Programme 1: LIFT: County-funded; for homeless people or people at immediate Sarnia risk; local transport and also to London, Strathroy and Sarnia when needed Programme 2: North and East Lambton for seniors and adults with disability No fees for either programme. Passengers from either programme can be on the same vehicle No riders under 17 years of age (insurance requirement); takes people anywhere in Lambton County;
Residents of Kettle and Stony Point are eligible, as are indigenous people living outside the band territories who need to travel to and from the Native Health Centre, if they meet the eligibility requirements, Provides transportation for the frail, elderly and disabled in the community. The service is for those unable to use public transportation or private means. In town; trips to medical appointments, day programs, groceries and social outings. Out of town transportation to medical appoints only with destinations along the London-Windsor corridor. Note 1: Red Cross says travel in Kettle and Stony Point is challenging to deliver because of the lack of street signs and addresses.
Service Name Details
Note 2: There seems to be potential for youth and others in Stony Point to work in Grand Bend and elsewhere, if they had transit to get to and from work. Unlike Grand Bend and many other communities, the Indigenous communities tend to have lots of young people. They could help address the labour shortage if they have access to transportation. Statistics Canada identifies about 300 people aged 17 to 30 on the First Nation territory CareLink A Health Transportation service, providing residents, from Windsor-Essex, Health Chatham-Kent and Sarnia-Lambton with a single phone number to access Transportation transportation from among eight agencies providing the service * Vehicles include wheelchair accessible vans; Eligibility 17 years and up; Ages: 17 year(s) and up; seniors over 55, disabled adults, disabled youth County of Transports day program clients to the two-day programs - one in Forest, one in Lambton Adult Petrolia. Day Programs 3958 Petrolia Line, Petrolia ON N0N 1J0, Phone: 519-882-1470 Hoffmans Note: Does not offer transportation anymore. Hoffman’s ceded their passenger Patient transportation business to Voyago as of July 1, 2019. Thy no longer provide Transfer Ltd. transportation. Non-Emergency patient transportation and on-site event medical services. P.O. Box 70; Dashwood ON N0M 1N0; Phone: 519-237-3631 Toll Free: 1-888-237-3631; Mobile: 519-317-2781; email: [email protected] J and T Murphy Operates wheelchair vehicle(s) Limited 21588 Richmond St Middlesex Centre ON N0M 1C0 Canada; Bus Depots: Exeter - 519-235-0450; Bus transportation providing full wheelchair service with hydraulic lifts * each vehicle accommodates 1 or 2 chairs and 4 or more walk-on passengers * available on a pay for service basis outside daily school routes (based on current charter rates) Residency Requirements: Huron County, Middlesex, and Perth Kettle and Provides local and intercity transportation for health-related purposes Stony Point KSPHS has two drivers and two vehicles. Health Centre Kidney Does not provide transportation directly any longer Foundation After discussions with Red Cross and Lambton Elderly Outreach it was decided to use these services to transport dialysis patients. Patients pay $25 for a return trip to Sarnia or London; nephrologists are all in London, but once per week they hold a clinic in Sarnia; home dialysis is a widespread practice if the patient is medically able, and trainable to operate it, and if they have the space and environment to store supplies and house the equipment in antiseptic conditions. Lambton Transportation is provided to seniors and adults with disabilities who Elderly reside in Lambton County. Outreach 4486 London Line, R.R.#1 Wyoming ON N0N 1T0 Phone: 519-845-1353x1 Transportation may be used to access hospitals, services, or other venues within 120 KM radius of our head office in Wyoming, excluding the USA. We have nine wheelchair accessible vans and three minivans that are operated by paid staff drivers. We also have volunteers who provide transportation in their own vehicles for ambulatory clients. Clients are invoiced; billed monthly; Reservations required one week in advance;
Service Name Details
Over 60 and/or have a disability; intake process Fare is between $13 to $80; $per km $.48 (ambulatory) to $0.60 (wheelchair van). London Transportation for people who require non-emergency transportation Medical 1900 Marconi Blvd London ON N5V 4T5 Canada; Business Line 519-659-4809 ext. Transportation 5000 Hotline 519-851-8120 Toll-free1 -866-827-LMTS (5687); Service Contact Systems - Anita Whytock Director of Customer Service [email protected] Senior Care Service Area: Brant, Bruce, Chatham-Kent, Elgin, Essex, Grey, Haldimand, Huron, Drivers Lambton, Middlesex, Norfolk, Oxford, Perth, Waterloo, Wellington; How to Apply Call or visit website * 24-48-hour advance booking is preferred * 24-hour cancellation notice required Murphy Bus Charter bus services available 9am to 2pm Lines [email protected] Uses existing school buses but can also add a school bus type vehicle that can be adapted for transit, if Rob Murphy 519-660-8200 One Care Medical and Seniors Transportation in South Huron and Bayfield ONE CARE Home and Community Support Services - Central Huron Office – Transportation EasyRide Betty Cardno Memorial Centre, 317 Huron St, Clinton, ON N0M 1L0 Star Taxi Taxi and van services in 9 locations including Grand Bend, Exeter and Parkhill in Huron Shores area Lori Chouinard; https://www.startaxi.ca/index.html; dial a ride via 1-800- TAXIGUY Locations: Wingham, Clinton, Seaforth, Mitchell, Grand Bend, Exeter, St. Marys, Parkhill, Lucan; computerized dispatching; vehicles equipped with onboard mobile computers That Girl Taxi Taxi and van service Theresa-Lynn Robertson; 1 (519) 859-6954 Grand Bend: https://www.facebook.com/That-Girl-Taxi-Services- small taxi operator; willing to put a van into service if a contract is established. Victorian Non-emergency medical transportation and also rides to non-medical Order of destinations Nurses - Middlesex-Strathroy Office - Strathroy: 519-245-3170; Transportation Active in Kettle and Stony Point indigenous communities Services, Voyago - Provides full range of transit, dial-a-ride and non-emergency medical Voyageur transportation to public and private sector organizations Medical 573 Admiral Court London ON N5V 4L3 Canada; Transportation [email protected]; 519-455-4579; http://www.voyagohealth.ca/;
Wave Limo & Provider of a variety of bus and limousine services; maintenance services Tours based in Exeter with vehicles located in Sarnia. Has a diverse fleet of buses and limousines. https://www.wave.limo/fleet.php ; [email protected]