Peace and Environment News* September 2002
|
Peace and Environment News * September 2002 |
by Sharon Boddy
A deceptively simple approach to transit service has brought big results to the City of Mississauga. Using a 21-seat shuttle bus, passengers are picked up from their homes in the Cooksville community and driven to a GO Rail station where they continue their commute. Parking needs, traffic congestion and air pollution have all been reduced.
Transit staff first distributed 5,100 surveys to customers at three GO Rail stations, with the Cooksville GO Rail station identified as having the highest potential for a successful launch of a six-month pilot program. Transit staff then contacted those residents who participated in the survey by telephone. The respondent's addresses were plotted on a map to determine pick-up, drop-off and running times. Based on the survey responses, the most popular GO train times were chosen so that the bus meets three trains in the morning and four in the afternoon. The bus running time, from the passenger's door to the station, is guaranteed at between 15 and 20 minutes.
The city's direct contact with potential riders meant that Cooksville residents were fully aware of the shuttle service and began to use it immediately. "We never had to market this service," said Bill Cunningham, Director of Mississauga Transit. "Ridership increased solely by word-of-mouth." Terry Dubois, Mississauga Transit's marketing manager, explained that it made sense not to advertise the service during the six-month trial period. "We were concerned that advertising the service on a broader level might attract an increased ridership that we could not accommodate with only two buses."
Although there is public transit service to the GO Rail station from Cooksville, it was not convenient enough to attract many riders. The success of the pilot has turned the service into a permanent travel option, with about 800 residents using the service every week. The shuttle buses have also proved more popular with all residents since regular sized buses are not as well accepted on local streets. Seventy-seven per cent of the new riders used to drive to the GO Rail station or were dropped off by another driver. Based on these initial ridership reports, the City has estimated that 67 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year have been avoided.
The service generates 60 per cent of its revenue from the fare box, compared to the average of 65 per cent for the entire Mississauga transit system. "We are losing money, but one of the points that city councillors have made is that it's an investment in the community," said Mr. Cunningham. "We're providing good transit and there are social and environmental spin-off benefits that aren't as easily quantifiable."
Mr. Cunningham expects that the shuttle service will soon be introduced to two other GO Rail stations, Meadowvale and Clarkson, which were identified in Mississauga Transit's initial survey. Meadowvale will begin receiving the service in the fall of 2002, and service to Clarkson will be recommended in the 2003 budget.
The Cooksville shuttle service is an excellent example of a customized transit service that serves a large population base. It could easily be replicated in other cities that have Park & Ride or Kiss & Ride facilities and which face similar peak-period traffic congestion problems.
The City of Mississauga won a 2002 FCM-CH2M Hill Sustainable Community Award for its shuttle service. This article is based on a case study prepared by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). Read the full case study at FCM's Sustainable Communities and Environmental Policy web site: www.fcm.ca/.
Sharon Boddy is a writer living in Ottawa.
Converted September 8, 2002 - Lg
To follow up on this article, contact the author or the organizations/individuals mentioned; do not contact the Peace and Environment Resource Centre - we cannot provide follow up or contact information. This article is an archival copy of the printed one in the Peace and Environment News (PEN). Viewpoints expressed should not be taken to represent the opinions of the Peace and Environment Resource Centre, the PEN, or our supporters.
