Committee Requests Evening Bus Service
City’s new buses unveiled this Fall - City of Moose Jaw photo
For the second time in the past few months increasing service provided by city transit came under discussion and both times the issue was initiated from Sask Polytechnic.
Speaking to Council on Monday evening, Dalise Hector, chair of the Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee said the Committee was looking for Council to introduce evening bus service commencing after September 19th.
Hector stated with “more international students” and others relying upon transit the Committee was requesting the return of evening transit service in the Fall.
“It was brought forward to our group by a representative from Sask Polytechnic,” Hector said and the Fall date was used because there was “more need in the Winter time season…the need is still there at this time.”
The issue of increasing transit services previously come forward in Budget Committee discussions.
At that time a proposal was made to establish bus service between Moose Jaw and Regina for students, commuters and others after a request from Sask Polytechnic. At that time the post secondary institute offered no funding towards the proposal.
SEE RELATED - Transit Proposes Moose Jaw To Regina Bus Service
Councilor Brian Swanson made the motion to allow Council to discuss the request seconded by Councilor Scott McMann because the Committee has no council member assigned to them.
Hector had earlier told Council the Committee had attended the meeting in case there was any input needed because since the resignation of former Councilor Don Mitchell in June they had no Council representative.
“(We are here) because right now our committee does not have a councilor there. So we are here if there is a back and forth between our Committee and Council,” Hector said.
Councilor Dawn Luhning had asked “why isn’t Councilor Eby on this committee?”
City Solicitor Myron Geiko-Teichrob responded “I believe there was a canvassing of Council of interest...it is not an automatic inheritance with the departure of Councilor Mitchell.”
After making the motion to allow Hector to speak Councilor Swanson said “I respect the work of the Committee” but he was against expanding the transit service. He wanted the issue brought forward to allow the issue to be discussed.
Councilor Chris Warren requested Hector to elaborate further on the Committee’s discussion.
Hector replied she believed in 2016 there was a test project to determine whether an evening transit program was viable but it had been in the warmer part of the year so ridership was low because of mild weather.
She then said the Committee wanted it to start after September 19th as it was colder then.
“The need is still there at this time,” Hector said.
“I’m open to exploring this,” Councilor Warren said, adding there had earlier been discussion on expanding a bus service between Moose Jaw and Regina and the two issues might best be reviewed together.
The matter was referred to Administration “pending future evaluation of the transit service.”
Following the vote Councilor Swanson asked “has Administration been directed to do a review of the transit service?”
City Manager Jim Puffalt replied Administration was working on “a rationalization of routes and discussed the use of the service.”
According to the 2019 preliminary Operating Budget the budgeted subsidy for Transit is $1,034,660 while in 2018 the protected subsidy was $1,148,593 while the 2018 budgeted amount was $1,059,327.