Bruce County Council was presented with a transit demand and feasibility study at the December 7 meeting.
The study was completed by consultants from Arcadis over the past year and included significant public and stakeholder feedback.
The study "reviewed existing services, identified local travel needs, and now presents options for transportation solutions and services that could address identified needs across Bruce County," according to a release on the county website.
The study has presented seven different areas of transit need and demand across the region. This was done with data compiled from stakeholder consultation and from 1,650 surveys completed by Bruce County residents and visitors during two public engagement phases in 2023.
Bruce County will now advocate for funding from other levels of government to help deliver medium to long-term transit solutions for residents.
The needs and areas of demand identified are:
Connecting Smaller Communities to Jobs and Services
Connecting Seasonal, Service, and Occasional Workers to Jobs
Intercommunity Connections
Transportation within Larger urban Communities
Tourism-Oriented Transportation
Enhanced Coordination of Specialized Transit
Improved Communication, Collaboration, and Coordination of Transportation Solutions
“The transit needs across Bruce County are diverse and cannot be addressed by a one-size-fits-all traditional transit approach. The study provides a road map to move the County forward to be transit-ready, identifying short, medium, and long-term solutions over the next 10 years,” said Commissioner of Community Development Claire Dodds.
“We understand that providing transit options is an important need across Bruce County. Obtaining long-term sustainable funding to be able to deliver transit solutions to meet the diverse needs of our communities is a priority for Council and staff,” added Warden Chris Peabody. “Council thanks the public for participating so actively in the engagement work that has helped the County complete this foundational report that sets out a plan to get the County transit ready.”
Discover more about the Transit Demand and Feasibility Study at www.brucecounty.on.ca/TransitStudy.