Provincial government funding is the linchpin for a bus transit partnership between the City of Lacombe, Town of Blackfalds and Red Deer Transit.
The City of Lacombe and the Town of Blackfalds have been reviewing a joint bus service proposal that would see them equally share the operational costs of running a bus service. As a service operator, Red Deer Transit would staff, maintain and store the buses for both municipalities for $100 an hour.
But for the initiative to go forward, the municipalities are reliant on the province’s Green Transit Incentives Program (GreenTRIP) — a one-time capital funding program intended to provide Albertans with a range of public transit alternatives to help reduce traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“The capital expense would be just too much for the City of Lacombe and the Town of Blackfalds to absorb so this is the ultimate decision-maker,” City of Lacombe community and economic development manager Guy Lapointe said on Monday.
All the parties involved continue to work on the joint proposal, anticipating that the province announces successful GreenTRIP projects in the next month. Lapointe is hopeful saying that not a lot of the funds from the $2-billion GreenTRIP program have been distributed.
A preliminary idea was to have a transit plan rolled out in spring 2013. Lapointe says that target was pushed back to fall 2013, considering that there is about six months of applications and a year wait time for GreenTRIP funding.
Town of Blackfalds Mayor Melodie Stol says administration at both municipalities are working on a proposal that will be presented to respective councils.
Stol says they are trying to determine what a route would look like and what a reasonable fare may be. This information will be presented at community open houses yet to be determined.
“It is really about basing things on facts, getting good feedback from the public, and designing a plan that balances affordablity,” she said Tuesday.
City of Red Deer transit planner Gerry Gummo said they tested an express route that would go from Red Deer’s downtown Sorenson Station, up Hwy 2A through Blackfalds and into Lacombe.
Working with neighbouring municipalities in order to provide bus transportation is not new for the city’s transportation department.
Gummo says they have an agreement with Red Deer County and have suggested something similar with Blackfalds and Lacombe.
If a plan comes through, Gummo says the city would be able to run the bus service with its existing staff.
“We don’t incur a huge expense with one or two more buses to operate,” he said.
jjones@www.reddeeradvocate.com