Building on a long tradition of public transportation. Municipality of the District of St. Mary s Public Transit Study

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1 Building on a long tradition of public transportation Municipality of the District of St. Mary s Public Transit Study REPORT MARCH 2014

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3 Table of Contents 1. Introduction Goals and Objectives Study Approach St. Mary s District: A Profile Overview Transportation in St. Mary s: past experience Transportation in St. Mary s: current experience Needs Analysis How demographic factors affect demand for public transit Population Age profile Population density Population distribution Family income Conclusion Public Consultation Findings Case Studies Transport de Clare Trans County Transportation Society (TCTS) Strait Area Transit (SAT) Central Highlands Association for the Disabled (CHAD Transit) Sou West Nova Transportation (SWNT) Lessons learned Demand Estimates Service area Destinations Putting it all together: What needs to be in place? Towards a viable transit service in St. Mary s Page i

4 4.2 What approach is right for St. Mary s? The service model The business model Cost implications Funding Resources Regulations Conclusions and moving forward Conclusions and recommendations Moving forward Appendix A... 1 Appendix B... 1 List of Figures Figure 1: SS Dufferin in port... 5 Figure 2 Eastern Shore Bus service... 6 Figure 3 Age profile - District of St. Mary s (2001 to 2011)... 9 Figure 4 Main road network in the District of St. Mary s Figure 5 Population by District Figure 6 Population Distribution Figure 7 Driver recruitment poster List of Tables Table 1 Population Change ( )... 8 Table 2 Population per Kilometre of Road (Community counts data)... 9 Table 3 Demand Estimate Nova Scotia Rural Transit ( ) Table 4 Annual Ridership Estimates St. Mary s Table 5 Key destinations Table 6 Service Development and Implementation Schedule Page ii

5 1. Introduction This study was commissioned by the Municipality of the District of St. Mary s in response to several issues which suggest a need for some level of publicly accessible transit. These include: A lack of local amenities, such as shopping options for groceries and clothing Limited opportunity to participate in activities locally Lack of medical services including doctors, dentists and eye doctors Aging population with limited (and possibly declining) access to cars No public or private bus service An expressed public desire for some sort of public transit A rural transit service can be a vital solution for many residents who do not have other transportation options. It is the kind of service that can help sustain small communities in rural Nova Scotia. It is thus an important element in a larger initiative to preserve the rural way of life in Nova Scotia, one that several other communities have also struggled with, some very successfully. 1.1 Goals and Objectives The specific objectives of the study are to: Assess costs and anticipated ridership associated with potential delivery models. Undertake public consultation and engagement Recommend a preferred option to move forward / implementation plan. 1.2 Study Approach The task of determining what type of service to provide includes the quantification of the community need, as well as the identification of local capacity and resources to provide the service. In this study, MMM Group has taken a consultative approach that included public meetings in each of the municipal electoral districts, conducted a background review of municipal demographics and the regulatory environment, and looked at case studies from elsewhere in the province. In recommending a design for a transit service, we undertook the following series of steps: Determine who is most likely to use a services Determine the main destinations and purpose of trips Determine an appropriate level of service (i.e., frequency) Determine an appropriate vehicle type Estimate the cost of acquiring the vehicles Estimate the cost to operate Determine the probable cost to fund it. Page 3

6 This report documents the findings leading up to a recommended service model. In completing our analysis we concluded that a grass-root, low cost model is most appropriate for the district of St. Mary s, given the small size of the community and the probable user base. A distributed owner-operator volunteer driver service model is recommended under the auspices of a non-profit charitable organization that would include participation by stakeholders, members of the general public and the Municipality. Page 4

7 2. St. Mary s District: A Profile 2.1 Overview Situated in northeastern Nova Scotia on the province s Atlantic shore, the District of St. Mary s has a long history dating back to the earliest days of European colonization. The French built a fort near present-day Sherbrooke, Fort Sainte Marie, established in the 1650 s. The English captured the fort in 1669 but it was not until the early 1800s that new settlers began to exploit the area s natural resources, mainly timber, using the broad St. Mary s river to transport logs to mill sites near the river mouth, not far from the ocean. Two saw mills and a grist mill were in place by 1818 and a post office was established not long afterwards. While forestry formed the economic mainstay of Sherbrooke for many years, coastal communities such as Bickerton and Liscomb became notable as fishing centres. At inland locations around Aspen and Goshen and along the St. Mary s River, agriculture became the economic focus and produce was sold in Antigonish as well as in Sherbrooke. Never boasting a large population the number of residents has declined notably in the past two decades, down from over 3,000 people in 1991 to less than 2,400 in Transportation in St. Mary s: past experience According to Philip Hartling road access was late in arriving to the Eastern Shore, especially when compared to such places as Windsor and the South Shore which had roads dating from the founding of Halifax or earlier. 1 A road connection between Sherbrooke and Antigonish existed by the 1830s 2 but for many years, the easiest way to get to coastal areas was to travel by water, and steamships were the most reliable mode until well into the twentieth century, less than ninety years ago. Figure 1: SS Dufferin in port This and other vessels connected Sherbrooke to Halifax until (National Archives of Canada PA ) It was only in the 1930s that the coast road was good enough for bus service to supplant steamer travel. The Eastern Shore Bus began just prior to World War II, when it quickly became a popular means to travel. The service was later taken over by Zinck s and finally Perry Rand. We are told that as the years wore on, many people would rely on the bus service to ship items, even if they did not take the bus 1 Philip L. Hartling, Where Broad Atlantic Surges Roll: A History of Beaver Harbour, Port Dufferin, Quoddy, Harrigan Cove, Moose Head, Moser River, Necum Teuch, and Ecum Secum, Formac, See Joan Dawson, Nova Scotia's Lost Highways: The Early Roads that Shaped the Province, Nimbus, 2009 Page 5

8 themselves. Several courier companies now serve the Eastern Shore, so even that source of revenue had eroded away by the time the service was abandoned in Though some did not mourn its demise, others did. As one person commented, It wasn t being used a lot by the time it closed but it gave you freedom Figure 2 Eastern Shore Bus service According to the Nova Scotia Archives, Ted Ogilvie and Carl Anderssen began this service which ran between Sherbrooke and Halifax starting in 1939 (NSARM Photo) Transportation in St. Mary s: current experience Today, a majority of people find it necessary to drive their own vehicles in the district of St. Mary s. If people don t drive they tend to rely on friends and relatives for transport. For those who can demonstrate a need, the Government of Nova Scotia - Department of Community Services provides income assistance for transportation. Work-related travel: In 2011, more than 90 percent of the employed population made use of a vehicle (car / truck / van) to get to work. None used public transit (there being no service available), and none bicycled to work; however, nearly 6 percent walked to work. Some carpooling occurs in the District. A carpool lot is located in Stillwater at the intersection of Trunk 7 and Country Harbour Road (Route 211). It is assumed that most of those commuters who carpool work in Antigonish. Based on our consultations, summarized in Chapter 2, there does not appear to be much demand for work-based transit. Notwithstanding, it was noted by one respondent that there is a group of foreign workers at the St. Mary s Smokehouse, many or most of whom do not drive. They tend to reside within walking distance of their workplace in Sherbrooke. The suggestion is that this group may be part of the larger group that may come to rely on public transit, say for irregular trips to Antigonish. Other travel: The following highlights some of the transportation challenges and solutions currently facing non-work transportation in St. Mary s especially for older residents. They are of vital importance for those who need this form of transportation. Maple Manor residents at this seniors residence rely on a volunteer driver for many of their trips, including appointments in Antigonish, to the hospital in Sherbrooke, or for groceries. Until Page 6

9 recently, residents note, the local grocery store offered a delivery service for older residents. The helpful service is no longer provided. Highcrest Manor Also until recently, this seniors residence had its own small bus for excursions; however it was sold for lack of use. In the Goshen area, some residents rely on taxi service to Antigonish, which is located about 25 minutes away from the community. Mail service and couriers pass through the district on a regular basis. Such services are typically not set up for providing passenger service. However, as noted previously, when the Eastern Shore Bus was in operation, parcel service was an important part of the bus service revenue. Though not active locally, there is a daily shuttle bus service between Canso and Antigonish which also carries parcels. 3 Hospital/medical. The St. Mary s Memorial Hospital in Sherbrooke has a contract with a driver to carry medical samples between the hospital and the lab in Antigonish three times a week. The courier has other customers as well and is not exclusive to the hospital. If patients need transport to the hospital in Antigonish they will call ambulance transfer (no cost to patient) or the family is asked to drive them if they are ambulatory. Theresa MacInnis RN, Manager of the hospital, suggested that cost would probably be a factor in people deciding to use a transit service. There are ambulance stations in Sherbrooke, Ecum Secum, Country Harbour and Aspen. The nearest public transportation service to the District of St. Mary s is in Antigonish, where Maritime Bus stops daily at the Bloomfield Centre at St. Francis Acadia University. Maritime Bus also stops at the Irving station on East River Road in New Glasgow. There are currently twicedaily trips to points west from Antigonish (e.g., Truro, New Glasgow and Halifax), with additional trips on Fridays and Sundays and daily trips to points east (e.g., Cape Breton). 3 As a side note, in some European countries UK, Germany, Austria and Sweden are examples long-standing rural postbus services operate that combine rural mail delivery with passenger service where such service may not otherwise be viable. As far is as known, Canada Post has never offered such a service and has not indicated any intention to do begin doing so. Ontario Northland offers Parcel Bus service north of Lake Superior and most regional buses offer a parcel service but this is not the same as mail route-based transit. Page 7

10 3. Needs Analysis 3.1 How demographic factors affect demand for public transit A number of factors can be assessed to determine whether a population may be suited for or in need of a public transit service. These include the age profile of the population, income, household make-up and other factors as highlighted below. Population and density: The number of people living within a transit service area and the density at which people live will have a large influence on how effective transit can be. Generally speaking, the higher the population and density, the easier it will be to serve users in an economical manner. Population distribution: Transit is likely to be more viable in places where the population is distributed in close proximity to key road corridors, as opposed to being dispersed throughout a district as is common in agricultural areas. Age: Older people may be less able or willing to drive, meaning they could have a greater propensity to use a bus service than younger people. Age of residents is less relevant when considering a fixed route service because it would be more likely to attract workers and students. Living alone: People living alone may have less access to family supports. This group may therefore be more inclined to use transit than those living in larger households. A little over 14 percent of St. Mary s residents are living alone, compared to 12 percent in the Province. Family income: Poorer families may not have access to a car, thus, they often find public transit (when available) to be an important means of transportation Population With a current population of 2,354, St Mary s is one of the smallest rural municipalities in the province and the number of residents is in decline. The table below shows the change in population between 1991 and Table 1 Population Change ( ) Census Population Change (%) , , , , ,172 N/A Age profile St. Mary s has an aging population. It also has one of the smallest populations of any rural district in Nova Scotia. Only eleven percent of the population was under the age of 15 in 2011 (compared to 15 percent in Nova Scotia), while 26 percent were over 65 (compared to 17 percent in Nova Scotia). As can be seen in the following graph, the number of people aged 65 and older is growing, while the younger Page 8

11 population is shrinking. Continuation of this trend is likely to mean proportionally more old people with fewer young people to assist them with their transportation needs plus 15 to 64 0 to Figure 3 Age profile - District of St. Mary s (2001 to 2011) Population density With an area of 1,909 square kilometres, St. Mary s has a very low population density of 1.2 persons per square kilometer. Among the counties and district it has the lowest population density. Another way to look at density is persons per kilometer per road. As illustrated in the following table, the Municipality (as part of Guysborough County) has the lowest number of persons per kilometer of road in the province. Table 2 Population per Kilometre of Road (Community counts data) Geography Total Land Area (sq km) Population per sq km Roads (km) Population of Road (per km) Shelburne County 14,495 2, Yarmouth County 25,275 2, , Digby County 18,040 2, , Queens County 10,960 2, Annapolis County 20,755 3, , Lunenburg County 47,310 2, , Kings County 60,590 2, , Hants County 42,305 3, , Halifax County 390,330 5, , Colchester County 50,970 3, , Cumberland County 31,355 4, , Pictou County 45,645 2, , Guysborough County 8,140 4, , Page 9

12 Figure 4 Main road network in the District of St. Mary s Population distribution The following graph shows the estimated population distribution by municipal electoral districts. The most populous district is Sherbrooke (450 people), followed by Aspen (375) while the smallest population is in Bickerton and area where the population is about 250 people. Figure 5 Population by District Population Page 10

13 This distribution is also shown roughly proportionally and geographically on the following map. Figure 6 Population Distribution Family income Families in St. Mary s had a median income of $43,597 compared to Nova Scotia which had a median family income of more than $55, Conclusion These factors, in aggregate, paint a picture of a community which, though very small in population, has a good potential demand for public transit. To determine how great that demand might be, other factors also need to be considered. That will be the focus of the remainder of this chapter. 3.2 Public Consultation Findings Public meetings were held throughout the district in mid-november A total of 39 people were consulted at this time, including elected representatives. Meetings were held in Ecum Secum, Liscomb, Port Bickerton, Indian Harbour Lake, Sherbrooke, Aspen and Goshen. The following presents a digest of the findings. A majority of people told us they drive their own car when they have to travel. However, a substantial portion (about one in four people we spoke to) relies on someone else for transportation. Page 11

14 On average, the people we spoke to travel about 15 times a month and they spend about $200 per month to do so. This amount tends to include fuel costs and helping to pay their driver, if the driver is willing to accept any payment. Often no money changes hands. Well, I was going anyway someone would say, especially if a relative. A little more than half said they would likely use a public transportation service. However, one in three were undecided, which may imply a wait-and-see attitude as to whether a service would be right for them. Only one in ten 10 people said they would not use a service, though many people also said they might be more inclined to do so as they aged. As for the fare price people said they were willing to pay, about 25 cents per kilometre was the norm. Those who said they would use the service said they might do so about 6 times a month. No distance was implied in this answer. 3.3 Case Studies With more than a dozen rural community transit service providers and a score of smaller operators scattered across the province, Nova Scotia is becoming a leader in community based transportation in Canada. The Rural Transit Association (RTA), the voice of rural transit service providers in the province, reports that in 2011, member organizations logged nearly 1.4 million kilometres of travel, providing 320,000 passenger trips and serving a potential 75% of the population of Rural Nova Scotia. They accepted more than half a million dollars in provincial grants and, through partnerships (municipalities, local businesses, health care groups, fund raising and fares) increased the overall investment to $2.3 million dollars. Collectively, members of the RTA employed 95 drivers and staff with a total payroll of $1,220,983. It has been pointed out that despite this success, the key weakness of community transit is the lack of an overall plan and coordinating body. 4 That being said, there is much to be learned from examining some of those operations. Following is a selected number of case studies. Appendix A contains additional material on these and other service providers in Nova Scotia Transport de Clare Serving a large area of Southwestern Nova Scotia, Transport de Clare was Nova Scotia s first non-profit, community-based transportation service, begun in the District of Clare in Service has grown from 4,000 trips taken over 14,000 km to 18,000 trips taken over 231,000 km by The number grew to 19,000 trips in Transport de Clare serves all of Digby County as well as Weymouth and Bear River. 4 See for example, Which Way Forward? A Public Transit Map of Nova Scotia by Wayne Groszko, Ecology Action Centre, November 26, 2010 Page 12

15 The fleet includes two 14-passenger buses, one 18-passenger bus and two vans. Fares in Clare are $7.50 for a one-way trip and $75 per week if used for employment. Volunteer drivers are paid 40 cents/km and Transport de Clare covers their insurance costs. In a recent study of rural transit in Nova Scotia, 5 Hillary Thomson notes that community support is important in the ongoing success of the Clare system. She reports a strong focus on local partnerships and support by local corporate sponsors. There are also close relationships with both the Municipalite de Clare and the Municipality of Digby. The organization has fostered a diverse range of local partnerships including Tideview Terrace Home for Special Care, Digby Pines Resort and Spa (chartered wine tours) and the Clare Recreation Department. Transport de Clare also offers Digby service to and from the hospital in Yarmouth hospital, and also acting as a feeder service to Transport de Clare s local service. There are also connections to other services: they have a partnership with Basin Taxis in Bear River as well as with Kings Transit. There was a recent expansion into Weymouth and Digby and although ridership is still low, the services provide valuable revenue. The service copes with affordability for users. The $15 return fare in Clare, $20 return in Weymouth, and $30 for a return trip to Digby are onerous for some, although there is a subsidy program available. As with many rural services in Nova Scotia that began mainly as accessible services for handicapped users, also an unfortunate social stigma about using the service: despite a focus on marketing, many people still assume that the service is only for disabled, senior, or disadvantaged populations. The prevalent car culture is another challenge, as is the difficulty regarding volunteer insurance: companies sometimes refuse to insure volunteer drivers because they are worried about the associated risks. This has prevented Transport de Clare from using a volunteer driver in at least one case. Recently, Transport de Clare began a pilot project which takes riders to the Town of Digby the first Tuesday of every month for shopping, errands, banking. It is also contemplating the implementation of a fixed route service Trans County Transportation Society (TCTS) With the slogan Call today for a ride tomorrow, TCTS is a charitable volunteer organization that started in 1999 as the Annapolis County Transportation Society. Starting out big by offering a wide range of services, by 2004 it was in serious financial difficulties. Rebooted that year as Trans-County, it started small with a single car and an accessible van, using volunteer drivers. Now one of the most successful dial-a-ride services in the province, it has a paid staff that includes a general manager/dispatcher, and drivers. It serves Annapolis and western Kings County (total population +33,000) and had a ridership in 2013 of about 29,000. The service model includes a dial-a-ride service, charters, and the local school board, VON, and nursing homes as clients. The fleet consists of 7 mini-vans and two 14-pass mini-buses, several wheelchair accessible vehicles. They purchased a new 21-passenger low-floor bus in Among issues dealt with successfully was a growing concern about insurance for volunteers. A paid staff and fleet insurance added reliability. 5 Transit in Nova Scotia: Moving towards available, affordable and accessible transportation by Hillary Thompson, Nova Scotia Department of Energy, August 2013 Page 13

16 3.3.3 Strait Area Transit (SAT) Like TCTS, SAT offers a lesson in taking small steps before big ones. Serving Richmond County, Port Hawkesbury and the Town of Mulgrave, SAT began operating in 2008 as a non-profit charitable volunteer organization providing a combination of fixed route and door-to-door services. It continued to operate through most of 2013, but had ceased operations by November. It is not yet clear whether it will re-emerge in a way similar to TCTS. When operational, it served the Town of Port Hawkesbury, as well as Inverness and Richmond Counties on Cape Breton Island. The fleet consisted of four vans and two buses. Paid staff included a general manager, an administrator / dispatcher, and bus drivers. The operators estimated about 35% of the fares were seniors, with the balance consisting of community college students, some commuters, and clients of community service organizations including persons with mental challenges. The population served was about 32,300. Ridership by the end of 2011 was about 1,400 passengers per month, up from 300 in The fixed route service was abandoned in March 2013 due to the cost of operation. Approximately half of their ridership was lost at that time. The Transit in Nova Scotia report states that increasing operating costs such as insurance and fuel (50% increase since Strait Area Transit started operating) were the biggest challenge. The operators purchased accessible vehicles through the /Province of Nova Scotia s ATAP program, with province sharing 50% of the cost, but the vehicles were found to be more expensive to operate than nonaccessible ones and became a drain on financial resources. They also relied in part on targeted wage subsidies from Employment Insurance, Department of Community Services and East NovAbility; the subsidies were short-term, and ran their course Central Highlands Association for the Disabled (CHAD Transit) CHAD Transit provides accessible door-to-door transportation in the Pictou area Monday through Saturday for persons with disabilities, seniors, and low income individuals demonstrating a need for transportation. The service operates on the dial-a-ride model, servicing single fares by appointment for residents anywhere in Pictou County and requiring 24 hours advance notice. The service also provides transportation on a special contract basis for employees of Summer Street and New Hope, bringing them to work for 8:30 am and home at 2:30 pm (the entire CHAD fleet is mobilized for this purpose during this time). On Saturdays, an informal fixed route service is provided between senior citizens communities within the towns and the shopping areas of the Aberdeen Business Centre and Highland Square Mall. Founded in 1996, it started operating a day after the Pictou Regional Transit Authority ceased operations, thus providing uninterrupted service to those most in need of public transit. There are five buses in the fleet, four of which operate at any given time. The CHAD fleet is serviced by the Town of New Glasgow Public Works. In , CHAD Transit transported nearly 29,000 passengers. The six municipal units in Pictou County collectively provide about $111,000 annually to CHAD Transit, which amounts to approximately one third of its operating revenue. As a non-profit organization, it receives annual population-based funding from the provincial CTAP program (approximately $75,000) towards operating costs and $50,000 towards the purchase of new, accessible vehicles. Some funding is provided through federal grants and charitable donations and the remainder comes from fares. Page 14

17 3.3.5 Sou West Nova Transportation (SWNT) We devote the most space to this case study because it represents a new operation serving a small dispersed population not dissimilar to St. Mary s. Sou West Nova (SWNT) is a non-profit point-to-point and charter service based in Barrington that offers service to all residents of the Shelburne County, although they prioritize those clients most in need. Planning for the service began in and it became operational as a pilot project between October 2012 and March After the pilot period ended, it continued on as a charitable organization beginning April 1, 2013 with two part time employees, a manager and a dispatcher. The manager Renata Tweedy works 20 hours per week and there is a dispatcher who works about 5 hours per week. Dispatch (call-in) hours are Monday to Friday, 10 AM to noon, with daily message checks at 4:30 PM. Clients must provide 24-hours notice. During the six-month pilot period, ridership grew from 20 rides in the first month to 45 in the last month, as shown in the following graph (used by permission). Since that time, ridership has continued to grow impressively, with 152 one-way passengers being recorded in January The average ridership in 2013 was 114 one-way trips per month (1368 for the year). The service area population is about 14,500 people. The organization has set a mature service ridership target of about 210 to 220 rides per month (2609 per year), or 0.18 rides per capita. Ridership appears to have been helped by providing pre-advertised shopping sweeps through communities in the shopping season leading up to Christmas. The current service level is achieved with two part-time bus drivers and about thirteen volunteer drivers who use their own cars. The goal is to have a roster of 20 drivers by the end of Initially a zone-based fare structure was used, using a fare subsidy. A round trip in the county cost clients $15 to $20. Out-of-county fares were set at 0.50 per km. It was found that inequities resulted from this system, so all trips are now priced by the kilometer. Also, says Renata, there is a new program through our District Health Authority that will cover 4 trips per month for qualifying riders. We now require that people be assessed through this program first, and if they are not eligible, THEN we will help subsidize through internal funds. Pricing is based on a round trip assumption. There is a wait time charge fee of $15 per hour to cover costs. Page 15

18 SWNT has one 14-passenger accessible bus, paid for through fundraising. It is a second-hand vehicle purchased at low cost from Transport de Clare. Some businesses advertise on the bus, which adds some income to the overall revenue stream. The bus is available for chartering and there is a minimum charge or $50 for this service. Volunteer drivers use their own vehicles and are paid for mileage and meals as required, while the bus drivers are paid by the hour. Drivers are trained in-house and are responsible for their own insurance. The organization has developed a series of operating polices ranging from use of the volunteer driver vehicle to issues of abuse and privacy. Many clients use the service for long trips to places such as Bridgewater, Yarmouth and Halifax, usually for medical reasons. There are fewer short (in-county) trips. To date, SWNT finds a majority of their local trip clients to be from Barrington where services are less accessible locally than, say, in Shelburne or Lockeport. Efforts are being made to improve ridership in the larger communities. Trip purpose varies, as indicated by the following chart (used by permission) Lessons learned Every community that decides to develop a public transit service will need to select and define a service that is right for them. Often those needs, and the services they provide, will change over time. As Debbie Decker of TCTS commented to us when we spoke with her for this study, it is advisable to start out small and build on success. The following list highlights a few of the innovations and solutions that different service providers have adopted around the province. Not all of them are applicable to St. Mary s, and not all of them would necessarily be endorsed by others. Offer scheduled shopping excursions: a service that takes riders to a popular service destination one day per month (or other set period) for shopping, errands, banking, etc. Transport de Clare, Sou West Nova Start out using vehicles owned by others, such as volunteer drivers own vehicles or local seniors homes, with the understanding that servicing the homes is a priority. H.O.P.E. Dial-A-Ride (and others) Establish partnerships with such agencies as school boards and Social Services. H.O.P.E. Dial-A- Ride, TCTS Page 16

19 Establish transportation partnerships with Health board dialysis. TCTS Use volunteer drivers: enhances connection between clients and drivers, keeps costs down. South-West Nova Transit, others Maintain membership in the Rural Transit Association (RTA): a forum for transit providers - share information and expertise, connect with the right government representatives. South- West Nova Transit Accept donations in lieu of fares: do not obligate riders to pay a fare, so users with more money subsidize the service for those who have less. Lunenburg VON, Chester Community Wheels Alternatively, offer subsidized fares on a need basis. Transport de Clare Obtain flexible licensing agreements: many services are licensed under the UARB to offer charter services outside of the regular service envelope. Offer a Safe Rides Home service for individuals that need a ride after a night out. MusGo Use caution in accepting ATAP funding: purchase of accessible vehicles is possible through ATAP (50% cost sharing) but these vehicles can be expensive to operate and could possibly drain financial resources. Strait Area Transit 3.4 Demand Estimates In order to be eligible for population-based service grants, the Province requires that rural transit providers in Nova Scotia are expected to maintain a ridership level in the order of 0.2 trips per capita per year. Most organizations have had no difficulty in doing so within a few years of starting up. So what is a realistic goal after start-up? A recent rural transit study offers one heuristic, based on three Nova Scotia case studies similar to those presented above. The study found ridership ranging from a low of 0.3 per capita to a 1.05, with an average of 0.71 (less than one ride per person per year), as shown in the following table. 6 However, those were for fairly well-established operations as indicated in the table. As a result, data for a small set of newer operations are also included, provided by the Government of Nova Scotia. This data suggests a lower ridership for young operation, averaging about.21 rides per year. Table 3 Demand Estimate Nova Scotia Rural Transit ( ) Mature Service Year founded Population served Annual Trips Rides per capita Transport de Clare ,000 19, Colchester (CTCS) ,000 10, Trans-County Transit 1999/04 33,000 26, Average 0.71 Newer Service West Hants Dial-a-Ride ,109 4, Cheticamp (l Acabie) ,280 1, Chester Community Wheels ,109 10, Average Source: IBI Group, Transit Feasibility Study: A Proposed Public Transit Strategy (Draft), Municipality of Victoria County, Nova Scotia, September 2013 (the study also included information for one service which included fixed route transit, which is not included in the table); SNSMR. Page 17

20 We also obtained recent ridership for the first year of operation of Sou West Nova. 7 We have taken this range of values and applied them to St. Mary s on a district by district basis, as shown in the table below. It illustrates a range of potential ridership levels that might be expected under various levels of service. As the amount of usage will be a function of the service level, the range is fairly broad. Startup Table 4 Annual Ridership Estimates St. Mary s Electoral Est. Startup 2 to 3 Mature Average District Population (Sou West Nova) years Sherbrooke Ecum Secum ,5 Aspen Sonora-Hilford Goshen Liscomb Bickerton Total At startup, based on the experience of Sou West Nova, first year ridership in the order of 0.1 ride per capita would yield under 1 trip per day. Given this low number, it appears reasonable to assume that dispatch service need not be offered every day. The cost calculations provided later in this report consider dispatch being service offered 3 days a week (similar to Sou West Nova). Ongoing Service In the longer term, the mature rate yields in the order of 1,744 trips per year at maturity (5 to 6 trips per day, Monday to Saturday) while the rate after 2 to 3 years would likely result in 516 trips (1 to 2 trips per day). The average rate (835 trips per year) would result in 5 to 6 trips per day. The rate of ridership will also vary from place to place. Based on population distribution and distance to services, Sherbrooke would likely have the highest rate of ridership and Ecum Secum the lowest. The Aspen area is also likely to have a lower rate of usage due to its dispersed population. Ultimately, the rate of use will depend on the level of service provided. 3.5 Service area The service area is typically defined by the local political jurisdiction. Through the CTAP program, the province funds community transit (dial-a-ride) based on population. Most community transportation services will maximize the service area to obtain the maximum benefit from the transit subsidy it offers through the CTAP program. In practice, the actual population that is served on a regular basis is often smaller, simply because of the high user cost for more remote dwellings. 7 Sou West Nova Transit association, 2013 ridership statistics Page 18

21 The subsidy currently is offered at $1.80 per capita, which in St. Mary s would amount to $4,230 per year. The subsidy is contingent on the service provider offering accessible transportation as a part of its service model. 3.6 Destinations Our discussions revealed the following destinations and trip purposes. Purpose Shopping Medical (specialists) Visit friends Deliveries Table 5 Key destinations Destination Sherbrooke Antigonish New Glasgow Truro Antigonish Halifax Sherbrooke Other Any It is good business sense that any new service should not attempt to duplicate services already being offered by others. Therefore, given that Maritime Bus currently offers public transit at Antigonish that serves Cape Breton, Truro, New Glasgow and Halifax, a community transit service in St. Mary s should seek to provide local service focused on Sherbrooke and connections to Maritime Bus in Antigonish, as well as to key local destinations in that town such as St. Martha s Hospital, shopping destinations and so forth. That being said, it would be prudent in obtaining licencing for the service to include Halifax and Sydney among the destinations because there may be occasional clients that wish to use the service for those destinations. Page 19

22 4. Putting it all together: What needs to be in place? 4.1 Towards a viable transit service in St. Mary s This study was tasked with analyzing three specific approaches to delivering a service. They are: stand alone, municipally-operated transit service public/private partnership connecting with an existing system (e.g., existing service provider, courier service, school bus system) Further it was necessary to: Assess costs and anticipated ridership associated with the potential delivery models. Recommend a preferred option to move forward / implementation plan In Nova Scotia there are two basic service options that are currently followed. First is the fixed route and schedule. The second is demand-response, or door-to-door/dial-a-ride. As we saw in the case of SAT, fixed service has been found to be simply too costly to provide in low density / low population rural settings. 8 Instead, the provincial government promotes and supports the demand-response approach as being more appropriate in meeting rural transport needs. It is also a flexible model, having the potential to offer a wide range of approaches tailored to local needs and scales of operation - from owner-operated volunteer drivers to use of sophisticated large-capacity vehicles with paid drivers as is now occurring in more mature operations such as Trans-County in the Annapolis Valley. As noted in the previous chapter, financial support through the CTAP program is dependent on having at least one wheelchair accessible vehicle as part of its fleet. The requirement is justified on the statistical finding that in Nova Scotia that 10 to 15 percent of riders are disabled enough to benefit by such a vehicle. On the other hand, NS-TRIP funding is not so-constrained. The experience of other community transit service providers in Nova Scotia has shown that public transit can exist even in small areas. In the remainder of this chapter we will specifically address the questions posed at the top of this page and conclude with a proposed move forward / implementation plan for St. Mary s. 8 We were advised by Renata Tweedy, manager of Sou West Transit that the initial planning for service in Shelburne included a fixed route option. This was later abandoned in favour of point-to-point (demand response) service. The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg is also exploring point-to-point this year, after having given serious study to a fixed route service in Page 20

23 4.2 What approach is right for St. Mary s? This section recommends a preferred option to move forward / implement public transit in St. Mary s The service model Fleet ownership and maintenance and personnel are all major cost factors in the running of a transit service. Because ridership is predicted to be low in the District, simply due to the low and dispersed population, it follows that revenues will also be low. It is therefore logical that fleet expenses should be minimized. As noted in several places in this report, the advice of other operators is to choose a service model that can grow over time: begin small, both to minimize start-up costs and to develop skills and competence, gradually improving the service as demand warrants. Because of the low and dispersed population of St. Mary s, it is recommended to rely on private cars and vans operated by their owners. The owner-operator volunteer driver service model has been used successfully in numerous parts of the province. The poster at right shows recruiting poster for one of them, SouWest Nova Transit, based in Shelburne. Ideally, drivers would be recruited within each of the various communities and dispatched to clients living near to them so as to minimize travel costs. In this model, driver compensation only covers mileage. Dial-a-ride is almost always booked 24 to 48 hours in advance to ensure a ride will always be available. Passengers typically pay the driver who provides them with a receipt. The driver then submits documentation to the dispatcher (see Resources, below) who ensures that the driver is paid a top-up for the trip The business model At the outset of this study, three specific business options were proposed for consideration in this study: stand alone, municipally-operated transit service public/private partnership Figure 7 Driver recruitment poster connecting with an existing system (e.g., existing service provider, courier service, school bus system) Based on the findings contained in this report, each of these options may be relevant in some way in the ultimate service model, or at least for some part of the process leading up to implementation. In our opinion, the Municipality of the District of St. Mary s is in the best position to take the lead in initiating the creation of a public transit service. However, it should not be solely or even mainly responsible. Like most communities have done in Nova Scotia, it may choose to follow a non-profit charitable business model which allows a separate organization to maximize community support through donations, tax 9 In our consultations, people were fairly consistent in saying they would be willing to pay 25 cents per kilometre for travel. This would not be enough for the driver, so a top-up would be required. Page 21

24 benefits and the like. This model widens the potential for community input while at the same time the Municipality gives up the organizational control and management (and, to some extent, fiscal responsibility). Municipalities will typically have an indirect say in the organization whether through board membership and/or through the granting of funds to the agency. While most agencies would no doubt like to view such funding as unconditional, it is precisely the opportunity to impose conditions that allows the Municipality to have a measure of oversight on the organization. Therefore, we recommend that: On acceptance of this report, the municipality initiates a process of soliciting interest in developing a public transit service from stakeholders and the larger public sphere. While it may want to invite participants, the Municipality should also make any charter meetings open to the public: there is no telling who the biggest champion for an initiative like this may be! Pending the success of this initial enquiry, we further recommend the subsequent formation of an ad hoc Public Transit Committee consisting of elected officials and members of the public to discuss means to develop and move forward a preferred transit model (see Moving Forward, below). As for public/private partnerships, the ability to work with existing or emerging companies should not be discounted. For example, taxi services may be interested in providing expanded service into part of the district if such a service could be made more affordable for the end user. Simply establishing a supplement agreement with one or more taxi companies may be of great benefit for potential customers. We recommend that: It be part of the mandate of the Public Transit Committee to investigate means of exploring cost-sharing with existing transportation service providers. It will be of value to consider the potential to work with other community transit systems currently operating or being contemplated. It may be logical to work with those which are contiguous or near to your own. One of the obvious benefits of partnering is the ability to capitalize on experience already gained the hard way. Another possible approach in dealing with other providers is to contract out some or all of the service. The nearest service provider is CHAD in Pictou. Discussions may be warranted to discuss the potential for CHAD to expand their service into part or all of the District St. Mary s. Depending on how well their fleet is currently utilized, by expanding its service area it may be able to maximize the fleet to its full potential. It is also recognized that an initiative called Antigonish Community Transit is currently (2014) being pursued by Sustainable Antigonish. It would be beneficial for St. Mary s, through a Public Transit Committee, to share ideas with this organization early in any process that is pursued. We are not aware of any current initiatives in the Municipality of the District of Guysborough; however it is logical that this municipality should also be consulted. Page 22

25 We recommend that: The Public Transit Committee undertake exploratory discussions with CHAD, Sustainable Antigonish and the District of Guysborough as appropriate. Other service providers: Many courier services are national or international entities, typically with corporate business models that would not permit consideration of add-on passenger services. On the other hand, an entrepreneurial local courier service may be interested in trialing a passenger service if there was a potential to earn additional revenue. We perceive the main challenge would be in securing the approval of the NS Utility and Review Board. We have not discussed the specifics of this option with either the UARB or SNSMR. We recommend against pursuing a school bus option for the simple reason that school buses are typically not designed for grownups, the frail or the infirm. Whereas older people are likely to be the core user group, it is important to ensure that riders feel comfortable on each and every ride. 4.3 Cost implications At start-up, SNSMR reports a cumulative average cost of $4.94 per capita per year for the 12 to 14 community transit services operating in the province between 2006 and For the district of St. Mary s this means the municipality should budget in the order of $12,000 to $15,000 per year for service delivery. This grant would be independent of any revenues and donations that would be expected to accrue under a non-profit charitable business model. 4.4 Funding Operational funding should be a shared responsibility of the Town (grant discussed above) and other stakeholders, through donations, and through fares collected from clients. Experience in Nova Scotia indicates fare revenues can contribute between 20 and 65 percent of operating costs. As noted earlier, under the Community Transportation Assistance Program (CTAP) the Province of Nova Scotia makes grants to community transit services of $1.80 per resident served. Given the small population of St. Mary s, this grant would be small ($4,230). Where eligibility for this grant is dependent on having an accessible vehicle as part of the fleet, priority should not be given to meeting this requirement at startup unless the cost can be minimized (i.e., through substantial donations, cost sharing or donation). Capital expenditures need to be carefully considered. As discussed above and per the recommended service model, costs should be substantially minimized by relying on volunteers use of their own vehicles. As the service grows, a rationale may be developed to justify the purchase of larger vehicles. One effective way to accelerate such purchases is to seek stakeholder partners such as nursing homes, which may be willing to cost share on the vehicle purchase. The province s Accessible Transportation Assistance Program (ATAP) program may be accessed to help fund accessible equipment at such a time. 10 Canada Nova Scotia Infrastructure Secretariat, Federal Public Transit funds Nova Scotia Outcomes Report , p. 14 (Table 4). It should be noted that the value has been rising steadily over the study period. Page 23

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