Electric buses, new stops and more frequent trips were up for discussion recently as Bracebridge councillors considered a new transit services agreement.
On Tuesday, the Bracebridge general committee agreed to award the transit contract from Sept. 1, 2023 to Aug. 31, 2028, to Hammond Transportation.
There was some discussion between councillors as to adding new stops to the existing transit route. Potential new locations included Manna Food Bank, Santa’s Village and local beaches in the summer months.
Geoff Carleton, Bracebridge Director of Public Works, said they have considered a number of new stops but the challenge remains ridership.
“Ridership has not rebounded as quickly as we would have liked from covid,” said Carleton.
On a set one hour loop, it’s very difficult to add new stops and still maintain a consistent schedule, he said. However, if they meet a critical mass of ridership, it might be possible to increase the frequency of routes.
Coun. Debbie Vernon also questioned what consideration has been given to alternate fuels and electric buses.
Carleton said there were discussions with Hammond on those issues. He said there are significant challenges to operating fully electric buses in smaller communities. Forefront among those are issues with capacity and charging, as well as access to backup vehicles.
Staff noted that Hammond has been an effective community partner and service provider since its launch in 2016. They have satisfied the obligations of the contract and delivered operational insights throughout the past seven years of operating Bracebridge Transit as the vendor of record, read a staff report.
The cost for Year 1 (spanning the period of September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024) is estimated at $541,139.50.
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As long as alternative public transit is in demand, we definitely need this service. While most of us drive, it is not very easy otherwise getting around Bracebridge, and the better this service is, the more we all benefit!