Red Deer County is considering expanding its fledgling transit service.
Council approved a motion on Tuesday to apply to the province for $446,666 to buy a second full-sized bus and two more Action Buses.
he county would pay the remaining one-third of the $670,000 cost of the buses, or $223,333.
County community services manager Jo-Ann Symington said if the province approves the funding, council will be asked later this year to approve expanding the Action Bus service throughout the county.
The single Action Bus now available only reaches to subdivisions near Red Deer and the Hamlet of Springbrook.
If three buses are brought into service, all of the county and its hamlets will be covered by the Action Bus, which would be turned into a scheduled service rather than a phone-booking system.
Expanding the service would boost county annual operating costs to about $360,000 from just under $150,000 and would require council approval, said Symington.
Since the county only has one bus, when it is being serviced a city bus must be borrowed as a replacement.
By buying an additional bus, the county will have a backup to ensure it meets its obligations under the contract with the city.
An extra bus also gives the county the flexibility to expand the transit service in the future.
The full-size transit bus was purchased by the county in 2009 as part of an agreement to create a link with the City of Red Deer transit system.
A 45-minute loop through Gasoline Alley, which connects with city buses at Bower Place Shopping Centre, began service in September 2009.
The service costs the county about $550,000 a year in operating costs.
Symington said the service has been well received.
The large transit buses carry an average of 3,500 passengers a month. About 167 people take the Action Bus each month.
Prior to the service beginning, it was estimated that up to 4,300 monthly passengers could be expected and the county believes it is on track.
“We are pleased with our results,” she said.
Provincial funding would be applied for through the GreenTRIP program, which provides one-time capital funding to help communities expand transit service. The county expects to know if its application has been successful in March.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com