{"id":92236,"date":"2020-12-07T12:12:18","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T17:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=92236"},"modified":"2020-12-07T12:36:13","modified_gmt":"2020-12-07T17:36:13","slug":"new-transit-fare-collection-program-scheduled-to-begin-march-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/new-transit-fare-collection-program-scheduled-to-begin-march-1\/","title":{"rendered":"New transit fare collection program scheduled to begin March 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

Next year, Huntsville\u2019s public transit users will be able to load money onto a smart card in order to pay for fares.<\/p>\n

<\/broadstreet-zone><\/strong><\/div>\n

The new system will cost $11,400 to implement and will be funded from a Federal\/Provincial Safe Restart – Transit program, according to Huntsville municipal staff. It will be available as of March 1, 2021, unless that date changes due to COVID-19 restrictions.<\/p>\n

Because of COVID-19, the collection of transit fares was put on hold and riders were asked to use public transit for essential travel only, according to a staff report submitted to Huntsville Council\u2019s November 23 meeting. In that report, staff recommended that council approve the new system in order to limit the amount of contact between riders and municipal staff, particularly as ridership increases and Town facilities begin to reopen.<\/p>\n

The current options for paying for transit fares are giving cash to the driver or buying a pass at either Town Hall, the Canada Summit Centre, or the library.<\/p>\n

“So what we\u2019re looking at is trying to find a more COVID-friendly way of not handling cash and more effectively providing this service so it\u2019s for a web-based program where you can go online and buy your card online. We would ship it to them, and then you can go and you can reload your card,” explained the director of financial services and treasurer for the Town, Julia McKenzie. She also noted that a monthly pass could be loaded onto the card and the system would eliminate the need to exchange cash.<\/p>\n

Huntsville Mayor Karin Terziano questioned how the new system would be implemented, particularly as people hop on the bus and try to pay with cash.<\/p>\n

Steve Hernen, director of operations and protective services said the municipality’s transit system serves mainly the same people and an educational campaign would take place before the March 1 deadline. “So within three months we\u2019re going to see them all and we\u2019ll be able to explain it to them and make sure everyone\u2019s got a card in hand, and away they go. If a visitor comes, they can still pay direct cash by depositing it in the box,” said Hernen, but explained that they would not receive change.<\/p>\n

Hernen told council that the system would also give staff accurate rider information. “We\u2019ve got a good idea now because Campbell [Bus Lines] does a great job of tracking that information,” said Hernen. But with the new system, “we\u2019ll be able to see exactly how many riders are getting on at each location and what time of day so we can try and see if there\u2019s any trends or new holes in the system that we need to plug up and provide better service for.”<\/p>\n

There will be an annual cost to operate the program. “I don\u2019t like the small print that says it\u2019s also adding $4,000 a year annual cost to operating the program, but I guess everything we do seems to cost us annually, now,” said Terziano.<\/p>\n

In the end, council voted in favour of implementing the system.<\/p>\n

According to Hernen, in a normal year public transit provides approximately 28,500 rides to users.That number dropped significantly this spring by about 75 per cent. Those numbers are slowly increasing but Hernen predicts it will remain at an overall 50 per cent decrease this year<\/p>\n

You can find bus routes here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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<\/broadstreet-zone>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Next year, Huntsville\u2019s public transit users will be able to load money onto a smart card in order to pay for fares. 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