Angela Lochtie and Brian Abdallah
Five years of planning is getting closer to reality as the city gears up for it’s first public transit system since 2014.
Taxi service in Pembroke is patchy at best and the Handibus service has provided excellent local door to door solutions since 1989, but is designated primarily to the elderly and handicapped.
Deputy Mayor Brian Abdallah has been on the front lines of this battle for a new transit service prompting many community members to begin to demand a solution.
Abdallah who is Team Lead on the Transit Project outlines how the plan first began to take shape:
The next steps included feasibility studies with various potential stakeholders such as Algonquin College and Social Services among others which lead to the involvement of Angela Lochtie, who apart from being City Treasurer and Deputy Clerk of Corporate Services is also the Executive Lead for the ORTC (Ottawa River Transit Corporation).
A $25,000 grant from the Canadian Federation of Municipalities was successfully secured helping to pave the way for the proposed system which will start out its life as a three year pilot project due to go live next month here in Pembroke.
Lochtie has been keeping track of the dollars and cents pertaining to the project from the outset and she says that having lived in larger communities in the past, she knows a reliable public transit system is essential to a growing community such as Pembroke:
The system will be set up as an “On Demand” model rather than a fixed timetable style typical to many other systems. The user would request a ride using various means and a transit vehicle will be dispatched. Rides are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Fixed stops will be in place and subject to change if deemed necessary as the pilot project continues.
This service will be delivered by Mobility Transportation Specialists (MTS), who will supply drivers, vehicles, and customer support. Ride bookings will be handled through the Blaise transit software platform.
Funded in part by City of Pembroke property taxes (a 2.07% tax increase will be levied to support the over all cost) the service will operate entirely within Pembroke city limits. With numerous virtual stops located throughout the city, passengers will be picked up and dropped off at the stop nearest to their requested location.
There was much deliberation as to the fare amount which Council recently agreed upon at least for the early stages of the pilot project. Lochtie elaborates:
Another point of contention has been where the borders of the service will begin and end and Abdallah says that they have ironed out those details as well:
As this is a new service, some adjustments may be required during the first six months to effectively manage demand. Abdallah and Lochtie are prepared to listen intently to feedback and make adjustments as are deemed necessary.
This Thursday July 31st, the media will get it’s first glimpse of the service vehicles and will learn more about the inner workings of the system.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this report following the meeting.
(Written By: Richard Evans)