An aura of guarded optimism was in the air Wednesday as St. Albert handibus patrons listened to the proposals made by transit officials that could make the service more accessible.
The 30 patrons who attended the two presentations heard that handibus transportation to Edmonton was one of the most requested needs, and transit officials are trying to find the ways and means to make that happen.
“We recognize that there is a need for handibus transportation to Edmonton. That’s loud and clear. What we need to know from you is where would you go in Edmonton?” Steven Wilks asked.
Wilks is an associate with IBI Group, the consulting firm that is conducting the handibus study on behalf of St. Albert Transit.
He presented the challenges of making the system more usable but also pointed out that change is critical because of an aging population demographic.
“Within the next 10 years, there will be an 85-per-cent increase in the need for handibus use,” he said.
Changes need to be made to automate scheduling procedures, Wilks said, suggesting also that better service might mean that there are multiple patrons using the handibuses, instead of the current one-rider, one bus system.
His proposal for three-day-per week service to Edmonton received mixed reaction as patrons weighed the possibilities and tried to assess how it would affect their own transportation needs.
Various audience members nodded in agreement, and said that they could try to arrange their Edmonton appointments if, for example, the service was available Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
“Perhaps we could partner with hospitals to address the transportation needs so that they – for example – scheduled St. Albert appointments on those days,” Wilks suggested.
But personnel from both the Glenrose Hospital and the University of Alberta said that trying to schedule specialized appointment times exclusive to St. Albert patrons could be difficult, since their hospitals provide rehabilitation and dialysis services to clients from all over the northern part of the province.
One option might be to expand on the current contracts with taxi companies to deliver off-day service, Wilks said, but that brought up questions of fare parity. Should those patrons who need a Thursday service, pay more than those travelling on the three-day system?
Currently handibus patrons pay twice as much as customers who use the regular St. Albert bus service. The fee for handibus patrons is $5 within St. Albert, compared to $2.50 for those travelling within the city on the regular buses.
Fare parity is one of the main items studied. Suggested changes might include free fare for handibus patrons or perhaps, through partnering with the DATS system and Edmonton Transit, there could be a reduction in fares within Edmonton. There could also be a partnering system with Alberta Health Services to share the cost of medical trip.
Wilks asked whether a service that took patrons to Edmonton in the morning and then returned them back to St. Albert in the evening, would be OK.
“The problem is with fatigue for some people, as well as self-care management, for example with bathroom assistance. Also, when their appointments are finished, where could those people wait, where it was warm, especially if fatigue is a problem?” asked Valerie Boggard, advocacy co-ordinator for the Edmonton chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Wilks wrote down the questions and suggestions offered by audience members.
“This process continues. It’s not done. We will look at the different levels of service available and our next step is to do a financial analysis,” he said.
The finalized report will be presented to city council in the spring, likely in April, he said.
