Town to forge ahead with GreenTRIP proposal for local transit service

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

While under the gun to submit a draft proposal to the Calgary Regional Partnership for a chance to snag a piece of a multi-million-dollar pie and possibly obtain capital funds for a local transit system, town staff’s proposal was nearly derailed during the last council meeting where some councillors felt Strathmore lacked population and costs associated with the project were too steep.
Facing the pressure of a May 20 deadline for the submission of a business case to be considered for the Green Transit Incentives Program (GreenTRIP), staff introduced two options for establishing a local transit system with the help of some contribution from the $160 million still available to municipalities since the Alberta government introduced a $2 billion program in 2010.
The GreenTRIP initiative provides 66 per cent of coverage for safe, accessible, and environmentally sustainable transportation options, but the municipalities are required to foot the bill for 33 per cent by means of other sources including grants and property taxes.
With the money up for grabs, the town’s proposal requests for $165,000 from the provincial government and $54,000 from taxpayer money be made available for the acquisition of two 12-passenger buses and 30 bus stop signs.
While the first option would establish a local town-owned public transportation system with a 1-hour loop through town three to four days per week, the annual cost of $161,000 unnerved most councillors. However, option two of leasing the buses out to a contractor who would envelope the responsibilities of hiring driver, scheduling and paying wages sparked some interest among council.
“I’m really interested in option two and I’d like more information,” said Councillor Brad Walls. “I do think there’s a need for it. I just think it should not be us running it.”
Projects eligible for the grants include bus terminals, Light Rail Transit systems (LRT), and transit vehicles that must be assessable to transit users with special needs and meet Alberta Transportation regulations. The 12-passenger buses the town is vying for would accommodate two wheelchairs.
Yet some council members felt establishing a public transit system for a town the size of Strathmore wasn’t vital and that services already operating in the municipality are capable of picking up the slack.
“I couldn’t support this, there’s too many unknowns and just because it’s grant money doesn’t mean we should take it or apply for it,” said Councillor Steve Grajczyk.
“We’re too small for this. There are a lot of taxi companies in town that could run this. The operating thing scares me and I couldn’t support this at all.”
However, a survey conducted around town that gathered responses from 517 residents contradicts those views.
A total of 80 per cent answered they’d be in favour of supporting the idea of having a fully accessible public transit system in Strathmore, recognizing that some public funds would be utilized. When asked about usage of the local transportation system, 60 per cent, or 307 residents, answered yes to using such form of transportation in the town if made available.
A needs assessment that is currently being conducted by the Family and Community Support Services also acknowledges the lack of public transportation and recognized it as a social issue, placing it within the top five priority areas of the report.
“I think that risking $120,000 to $160,000 in taxpayer money with unknowns is difficult and yet the anticipation of two new free buses is hard to look away from, but the ongoing upkeep and utilization is a concern,” Councillor Denise Peterson said.
“The other thing that has been discussed in several groups at tables where I sit, is interest from the county in terms of better service to their rural seniors. The Handibus is operating at a medical capacity right now and there is a desire for seniors in our outlying communities to stay in their communities and to be able to manage there, and one of the greatest detriments to that is the capacity for transportation.”
Staff identified the most common reasons for travelling within Strathmore to include health appointments, stores, library, entertainment, visiting, working, shopping, business, errands, as well as eating and events. While feedback from the community emphasized the benefits to downtown businesses, single parents, local employees, students, and shoppers, other comments expressed concern about high operating expenses and an impact on taxes.
Councillor Rocky Blokland also voiced his stance on Strathmore not being ready for such a system and felt that option one – due to an estimated $1 million cost over seven years – was not an option. Blokland was also asked by his fellow council members to address the issue with the Handibus.
Without any obligation at stake, Councillor Bob Sobol motioned for Chuck Procter, planner for the town of Strathmore, to meet the May 20 deadline and submit a draft business case to the Calgary Regional Partnership, and to accept the report as information, while waiting for Procter to prepare more information to bring back to council before a decision is made on whether to go ahead with the proposal and apply for GreenTRIP funding at a future date. The motion was passed at the regular council meeting on May 18, with Councillor Grajczyk voting in opposition. The draft business case was due on May 20, a final business case and application to the Calgary Regional Partnership is required by June 30, and the GreenTRIP deadline is August 31.