By Thomas Goyer
On-demand responsive transit may be coming to Muskoka by the end of the year.
In a report to the Community and Planning Services Committee on January 18, District staff stated that it was possible to have responsive transit by the end of 2024. A demand-responsive transit system is when passenger travel demands determine vehicle times and routes.
The purpose of the report was an update on the new proposed service and to recommend a contract with Blaze Transit. To facilitate this new transit system the District requires a technology partner to support the planning and delivery of the new system. The purpose of the report was to recommend a contract with Blaise Transit.
The presentation was made by Transportation Network Coordinator Sydney Piatkowski. She stated that a demand-responsive transit program would be a new direction for rural transit and would be able to meet the diverse transportation needs of Muskoka.
Piatkowski stated that Blaise Transit can deliver a mobile app and websites to book rides, a driver interface, route optimization, and payment options. She said Blaise would assist in designing the new service, especially around vehicle needs and operational considerations.
Piatkowski stated that certain operational decisions, especially if the District employs transit drivers or handles data collection operations, would be made at a later date after further analysis.
While not giving a definitive timeline it was stated that staff are optimistic that the new service will be operational by the end of 2024. Piatkowski stated that Blaise has a short implementation timeline and staff recognizes the existing cost pressures involved in delaying implementation.
“We are already spending a lot of money in different areas for transportation. So the sooner we can get this in place and get it streamlined the better for the District as a whole,” Piatkowski said.
District Chair Jeff Lehman stated he was excited about the new system. He highlighted that the district spent around $500,000 in 2022 on various initiatives to help move residents around Muskoka. Lehman also said that this new service would likely provide better service to residents.
“I am dead sure we can provide a better service,” Lehman said.
Piatkowski stated that the new service would serve the whole district including more remote rural regions. She also stated that there had been discussions with local municipalities about potential partnerships.
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We have a mass of school buses that sit idle for most of the day. Presumably, as tax payers we pay for these buses. Why not put them to good use doing their normal runs but this time providing for the adult population to and from Huntsville.
Yes!
It’s important to consider rural realities when looking at things like transportation. I’m glad we have progressive people working within planning services working on progressive solutions to problems.
Buses may not be the most efficient in cases where you have long distances and few riders. A model like innisfil could very well be a good solution in Muskoka.
Important to keep on the lookout and be open to new ideas and different solutions for problems.
I do predict the challenge to be staffing, hiring individual drivers may be challenging in remote location if not guaranteed work. Curious to see what comes of this.
Wondering what the ridership numbers are and the times people are riding. When I see buses there are very few riders if any. There may be a better way and we should be open to considering other options.
Could we please have an example of what this looks like? I fill in a form on an app and a car comes to pick me up? Takes me from Port Sydney to … how far? Thanks. Good to hear this is under consideration.
I understood Innisfil went for contracting Uber (Lyft?) to transport residents, instead of buying busses/hiring drivers. How did/is that working out? I’m always curious to know cost and ridership on, say, Huntsville transit. Also Corridor 11 transit.
If one could get from Muskoka to Barrie bus terminal and Allandale GO, that would be great.