On Friday, January 7 at 1 p.m., the Owen Sound city council will hold a special meeting to discuss public transit in the city.

From a staff report prepared for that meeting:   "The City undertook a Transit Optimization Review process to assess the existing transit service delivery model and identify areas of improvement to optimize the current transit system. This study analyzed and evaluated the City’s existing fixed-route system, including route coverage, route ridership, schedule adherence, and infrastructure perspectives. This process also reviewed similar transit systems, bus stop locations and distances and populations serviced, identify local issues, and data collection and analysis to quantify and qualify system operating characteristics.

Once the consultant completed the transit study the second phase of their obligations included aiding staff during the procurement process for a new transit contract. The transit study has been completed and presented to the Operations Committee in September 2021. A staff report was presented at the Operations Committee during the November 9, 2021, meeting. Given the amount of detail contained in the report and the financial burden the transit service places on our taxpayers, Council requested a Special Meeting devoted just to transit be scheduled. The intent of the Special Council Meeting is to discuss how the City will move forward with transit and the potential level of
service.

The operating costs of the current existing four bus transit system is approximately $1.275M annually. Of this amount, approximately $1M is contractor costs and the additional $275,000 annual cost is relating to vehicle ownership and maintenance.

The recommended transit option (Option#1) from the study has an estimated annual cost of $1.45M for 2022 based on the current hourly rate. The additional cost is also the result of an increase in service hours by 25 percent annually.

Given the rising net costs of providing a transit system in Owen Sound and the ever-increasing financial burden the transit system has placed on taxpayers, staff is recommending seeking pricing for a system that creates less of a burden. In this case a system that provides one-hour service with the same area coverage as the existing system.

Staff will not know the actual costs of providing a transit system until the pricing is provided by the proponents as part of the procurement process."

Options include providing 16,500 hours of service annually based on the recommended option from the transit study; providing 13,500 hours of service annually based on the status quo in terms of service delivery; or cutting service to  7,500 hours of service annually based on a one-hour service delivery model.

The meeting can be viewed live or later on the City's Council and Committee page and the full agenda, including the fiull transit study details, is availble here.

source: City of Owen Sound