City council voted in support of increasing a particular bus route’s frequency on Monday, despite a staff recommendation to the contrary.
City staff recommended no changes be made to Route 3, the city’s least-used transit route in the St. Joseph’s area that saw its weekday frequency increased from 30 minute service to 40 minutes earlier this year.
Ward 3 councillor June Hofland put forth a notice of motion to restore the service. Hofland and others argued it is about who use the route and for what purpose, not just how many get on the bus.
Route 3 services St. Joseph’s Health Centre, doctors’ offices, physiotherapy offices and the United Way office along that route.
“It’s not always about the numbers,” said coun. Phil Allt.
City staff recommended the route remain the same for now and be reviewed as part of next year’s budget deliberations and after completion of the current ongoing Transit Service Review.
But council’s committee of the whole meeting on Monday voted 7-6 in favour of restoring the service.
(In favour: June Hofland, James Gordon, Phil Allt, Mike Salisbury, Cathy Downer, Karl Wettstein, Leanne Piper; Against: Mark McKinnon, Andy Van Hellemond, Dan Gibson, Cam Guthrie, Christine Billings, Bob Bell.)
Hofland’s motion will now go to the full meeting of council for final debate and vote at the end of the month. More information will be forthcoming from staff before a final decision is made.
A staff report, which put forth various options, said that returning Route 3 to previous levels would cost the city $140,000 for the rest of this year and $352,000 annually.
Staff said that Route 3 operates at half the average ridership of other city routes.
Sian Matwey has been one of those calling for the route to return to its previous frequency. She is a support worker who uses that route along with her clients.
“Maybe we don’t have the numbers, but we have the people that really need it,” Matwey told City Council at its committee meeting on Monday.
Matwey pointed to her clients and others from the St. Joseph’s community as those that need more frequent service.
Deputy CAO Colleen Clack said that element is one of the things currently being looked at in the Transit Service Review.
Councillor Mark McKinnon said that he supported the “evidence-based decision making of staff” in being opposed to restoring the previous level of service.
Councillor Bob Bell also voted against it, saying “we need to have routes that have people on the buses.”
City staff is recommending the following option:
“That staff be directed to address any potential revisions to Route 3 as part of the 2019 operating and capital budget and after completion of the Transit Service Review, with no additional changes to the route being made in 2018.”
