On-demand transit hits the streets in Pembroke
Pilot project will let riders book trips 6 days a week
Pembroke, Ont., has launched a three-year on-demand transit pilot project, giving residents of the eastern Ontario city access to long-awaited public transportation.
Two eight-seater vehicles will operate within city limits starting Aug. 5, with a third backup vehicle on standby to ensure uninterrupted service.
"It's big news for our community," said Brian Abdallah, the city's deputy mayor and council's lead for the project.
Pembroke, he noted, hasn't had any public transportation service for about 12 years, when its system was discontinued due to long wait times and low ridership.
The city has now partnered with Mobility Transportation Specialists and Blaise Transit to deliver and monitor the on-demand pilot project.
The vehicles won't follow a set route. Instead, people can book trips at a fare of five dollars per ride by using an app or web portal powered by Blaise Transit or by calling the city's on-demand transit phone line.
The goal is to have riders walk no more than five minutes to and from their chosen pick up and drop off point.
"The issue of transit has been a long outstanding issue with the community," said Angela Lochtie, Pembroke's director of corporate services and executive lead on the transit pilot.
"It's very exciting, and the excitement that we've received in the community so far has been wonderful."
During the first year of the pilot, Lochtie said the city is anticipating monthly ridership of between 1,200 and 1,700 people.
The vehicles will have ramps and capacity to accommodate two wheelchairs, Lochtie said, although the Pembroke and Laurentian Valley Handi-Bus will still provide fully accessible door-to-door transit service in the area.
Drawing from other municipalities
Pembroke officials looked to other municipalities to develop their pilot, with a particular focus on North Grenville's on-demand bus service.
The benefit of the on-demand transit, Abdallah said, is that "it's a more responsive system and saves time" by serving riders when and where they need to go.
Last year, Ottawa had a go at a similar project in the east-end community of Blackburn Hamlet.
The service shuttled riders between Blair station and the Gloucester Centre on Sundays and some holidays in place of OC Transpo's Route 28, using spare Para Transpo minibuses.
Orléans West-Innes Coun. Laura Dudas said the pilot was "incredibly successful," totalling about 191 unique trips during the four months it ran.
"It's not an Uber, but it is very close to that kind of door to door service and the connection to our LRT station was quite beneficial," Dudas said.
"I'd also think that rural communities could benefit from this. Because although they're farther spread [out], if you were to book your ride, you're not having a giant articulated bus come down a rural road to pick up one user."
Service to operate six days a week
On-demand transit service in Pembroke will initially operate six days a week, excluding Sundays and statutory holidays, with the following hours:
- Monday to Wednesday: from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Thursday and Friday: from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Saturday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
After Sept. 1, service will be extended to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday.
While the pilot is currently funded primarily through fare revenue and property taxes, the city is pursuing federal grant applications in the hopes of adding two electric vehicles to the fleet next year.
The city is encouraging riders to provide feedback and will conduct a formal review of the service's performance six months into the pilot.
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