The Regional Fleet Assessment Project
Final Report Now available! New! Draft schedule! New!
BSD has received funding from Moving on Sustainable Transportation to conduct what is called “A Regional Fleet Assessment”, in which we will identify the potential, conduct consultations, prepare service options and route options as well as cost projection on the topic of the potential for a transit link to five municipalities near Bathurst where many of the citizens of these Municipalities work and come for appointments to the City of Bathurst. Family and Community Services have expressed a great interest in us extending future bus services to these areas.
Two meetings were held one with the Mayor’s Forum and one with representative of the various Municipalities to introduce the Transit Link idea to them and to gain insight as to their interest and support for this idea.
We have received a letter of unanimous support from the Mayor’s Forum from all five Municipalities along route 134 (which is a straight line route) near Bathurst for this initiative.
The Regional Fleet Assessment Project begins May 1, 2006 and will be completed March 31, 2007.
a. Project Description (including brief justification for project)
The City of Bathurst and Bathurst Sustainable Development are in the process of conducting a transit test of public transit services within the City. The surrounding Municipalities of Beresford, Petite- Rocher, Petite- Rocher Sud and Petit Rocher du Nord, Pointe- Vert, Nigadoo, and Belledune (all within a 30 minute radius of Bathurst along route #134) have expressed interest in supporting BSD conducting a feasibility study on the potential to establish a Regional Fleet transit service which would connect these communities with the City of Bathurst transit system. Total population for these combined Municipalities is approximately 12,000. Average fuel cots to travel to and from the City range between $40 per round trip to $10 per round trip. The majority of the residents of these communities commute to the City of Bathurst daily for work, shopping and appointments.
BSD will conduct all consultations; prepare all project materials in both official languages. Drawing on the skills and resources of the Bathurst transit drivers, we will time and test the Regional Fleet options.
Before launching a Regional Fleet it is necessary for us to have as much credible data and information about our target user groups as possible, critical information pertaining to the financial operations of the service, population size, leasing options of the buses and energy options for the buses (diesel, natural gas, hydrogen, electric, and hybrids) and insurance requirements. We also need to establish a proposed bus route, location of bus stops, hours of operation, necessary signage, and schedules and the requirements and laws of all Provincial, Federal and Municipal transportation policies. We need to identify cooperating partners who may already have a suitable “bus stop” designed into their property and who are willing to provide this service to the Regional Fleet. We need to explore the various methods of operating the Regional Fleet. We will also be assessing the financial sustainability of the system based on the “real time” costs being incurred by the Bathurst transit service during their test project. A staggered rider fare, based on distance traveled, may be required.
Working closely with the regional planning department and Municipalities, we will assess the proposed bus route to identify needs, changes, and requirements to comply with all transportation codes and land use, the placement of bus stops and signage. We need to survey, speak to and receive input from our residents and all target user groups to identify the areas of the city where demand is highest, what are the demographics of our users and what their accessibility needs are. Lastly, we need to assess what barriers may exist to the service succeeding and how can we over come these. We will obtain this information from surveys that will be conducted during presentations/ information sharing sessions with all identified user groups on the subject of this proposed initiative.
b. Project Goals
To identify and assess all necessary information, opinions, needs, financial data, routes, service types, user demographics and all other information necessary to ensure the successful implementation of a new sustainable transportation system in the form of a Regional Fleet Urban Transit Bus service for the citizens of Beresford, Petit- Rocher, Pointe- Vert, Nigadoo and Belledune.
To design an innovative public transit system that will provide both local service as well as a vital transit link within and between the communities. .
That a small bus system can be designed that is financially sustainable once it reaches maturity.
That a basic system which is cost effective can be designed by small regions to provided a public transit service to their citizens
To provide information to and receive input from all identified potential user groups, partners, potential service providers and others who may be identified as having a contribution to the successful implementation of this service.
The project will address how the availability of transportation impacts and links to alleviating homelessness and at risk and the benefit of their having accessible transportation to reach community support services.
To encourage, support and provide an incentive to individual citizens in these Municipalities to choose a more sustainable mode of transportation rather than using the personal automobile while awaiting the start up date of this new transportation service.
To encourage citizens of the Municipalities to participate in the goal of reducing their contribution to the production of greenhouse gases produced by the transportation sector.
To share all information concerning this project and new sustainable transportation service with all Canadians through National exposure on our web site and the establishment of a Regional Fleet transit web site.
To conduct studies or analyses that contribute to a greater understanding of sustainable transportation issues.
To deliver education and outreach programs that informs the Canadian public about a sustainable transportation activity.
We are now registering groups who would you like for us to conduct a consultation with your local group/ community. Please contact us to arrange a suitable time and date!
Thank-you !
Brenda Kelley, Community Development Coordinator for Bathurst Sustainable Development (BSD), 285 St. Patrick Street, Bathurst, NB, E2A1C9 Tel: 1-506-548-2106 Fax: 1-506-545-7838 www.bathurstsustainabledevelopment.com