Title
Appointment - 9:30 a.m.
Tri-Municipal Regional Transit Plan and Inter-Municipal Collaboration Committee Transit Sub-Committee Report
Proposed Motions
1. That Council receive the Tri-Municipal Regional Transit Plan for information, as presented;
2. That Council receive the Inter-Municipal Collaboration Committee Transit Sub-Committee Report for information, as presented; and,
3. That Council direct administration to prepare a Memorandum of Agreement to establish an implementation committee for regional transit; including a terms of reference and budget.
Body
Administration Recommendation
Administration supports the proposed motion.
Purpose
The completed work needs Council support to proceed to the next step of a unified regional transit service.
Summary
The Tri-Municipal Regional Transit Plan seeks to deliver a unified vision for future transit service and its supporting infrastructure and strategies for the City of Spruce Grove, the Town of Stony Plain and Parkland County. Developed by Watt Consulting Group in collaboration with these municipalities, the Regional Transit Plan encompasses all forms of transit in the local communities, as well as connections to the Edmonton Metropolitan Region.
Transit in the Tri-Municipal Region currently consists of a number of different services:
• Conventional Transit providing scheduled weekday commuter service on routes between Spruce Grove, Acheson and Edmonton operated through contract with the Edmonton Transit System (ETS) and funded by the City of Spruce Grove and Parkland County.
• Acheson Shuttle providing demand responsive connection between ETS services and employer locations in the Acheson area, operated by Southland Transportation and funded by a utility fee imposed by Parkland County.
• Spruce Grove Specialized Transit Service (STS) providing local and regional door-to-door service for people with a disability and seniors living in Spruce Grove and select areas of Parkland County, operated by the Spruce Grove Specialized Transit Society and funded by the City of Spruce Grove and Parkland County.
• Stony Plain HandiBus providing local and regional door-to-door service for people with a disability and seniors living in Stony Plain, funded and operated by the Town of Stony Plain.
Building from the identified issues and opportunities and overarching community plans, a long-term network strategy and layers of transit service are proposed for the Tri-Municipal Region. This strategy defines the most important transit corridors for future development and road network improvement decisions to reinforce the corridors. Similarly, by describing service and corridors in terms of layers and the long term vision, the reason why different levels of investment may be applied to some areas over others is highlighted.
The strategy is complemented by supporting measures (infrastructure, vehicles, passenger information, fares, etc.) and service options shown in the attached report.
Inter-municipal Collaboration Committee created a subcommittee on transit. This subcommittee had the following goal and scope for the report.
Goal: The establishment of a framework for a regional transit system in the Tri-Region.
Scope: Seamless, boundary-less, unified public transportation that addresses public transportation needs including commuter, local and specialized transit. All public transportation needs of the region and the desire lines of public travel are considered with the intention to deliver service in the most effective manner.
The report includes a determination of:
• governance model
• funding model
• service delivery model
• roles and responsibilities
The subcommittee prepared the following recommendations:
GOVERNANCE: The ICC Transit subcommittee have reviewed the options for transit governance in the Tri-Municipal region. A formal established governing body and less formal agreement option were compared. Evaluation criteria weighted to align with the perceived values of the member municipalities, concluded that a Regional Services Commission is the best long term option. The Commission option will require a greater amount of work and will take longer to implement, but is the recommended choice.
SERVICE DELIVERY: A committee should be formed to implement the steps required to form a partnership able to deliver the service as desired by the Tri-Region. The committee can prepare a business case to confirm the most cost effective method of service delivery, accepting that conditions may change in the near future. The desired service delivery model is a public sector operation.
COST SHARING: For Specialized Transit/Handibus service, the net costs should be allocated by active client home address to start, with ridership considered in the future.
For the existing commuter service provided by Routes 560 and 562, the home address of the ridership will be used to allocate the proportions for net costs. This ridership figure will be based on surveys completed on both routes. However, the Acheson service will continue to be allocated by service hours and will be paid by benefiting service area, through a public transportation utility fee.
For new service introduced within Tri-Region, the proportion of service hours in each municipality will be applied to the net operating costs. As the service stabilizes, ridership can be considered to validate the cost share. Revenue will be allocated to each partner based on passenger activity.
The complete report is attached.
Strategic Plan/Policy/Legal/Staff Implications:
Parkland County Strategic Plan: Pillar 1 - Complete Communities - We recognize the diversity of Parkland's communities, while fostering a united and shared vision for Parkland as a whole.
Guiding Principle 1.2 - We are a region of connected communities, through infrastructure, transit, recreation facilities, trails and technology.
Broad Objective - Investing in, owning and maintaining infrastructure that supports access to technology, improving quality of life and business viability.
Parkland County Strategic Plan: Pillar 2 - Strategic Economic Diversification - We support the continuation and evolution of traditional economic activities, while pursuing new opportunities for diversified and sustainable growth.
Guiding Principle 2.3 - We effectively pursue and manage new opportunities to stimulate economic growth, increase investment, and diversify our long-term economic bases.
Parkland County Strategic Plan: Pillar 4 - Responsible Leadership - We maintain the public's trust through transparent and fair decision-making, superior service delivery, and effective communication.
Guiding Principle 4.2 - We are an organization that values, proactively builds, and continues to maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders.
Broad Objective - Developing and implementing a long-term strategy to support collaboration with neighbouring municipal partners, strengthening regional competitiveness and supporting the cost-effective provision of services.
Financial Impact:
Cost: 0
Source of Funding: N/A