MOOSE JAW - Residents who provided feedback during the development of the new transportation master plan (TMP) made one thing clear: Moose Jaw’s transit and paratransit systems require major overhauls to be more effective.
Consulting firm KGS Group conducted two online surveys and two public engagement meetings last year, with 785 people answering the surveys and hundreds attending the meetings.
Several broad themes emerged, with respondents wanting the City of Moose Jaw to improve:
- Road conditions with more frequent maintenance, filling of potholes and snow removal
- Road network operations with changes to signal timing and signal co-ordination
- Pedestrian pathways by filling in network gaps and providing accessibility ramps at intersections
- Provide safe and connected cycling pathways
- Transit by extending service and increasing the frequency of service
KGS estimates that implementing every recommendation in the TMP would cost $22 million to $28.4 million.
“The stakeholder and public engagement (sessions) identified (that) there is a strong demand for cycling and transit in Moose Jaw. About half of all respondents indicated they would prefer to travel by bicycle or transit if network improvements were implemented,” the document said.
“This indicates an extremely high latent demand for travel by active modes exists in Moose Jaw.”
Survey results
The surveys found that 77 per cent of people use personal vehicles to reach their destinations. Specifically, data on residents’ current mode of travel versus their preferred mode of travel showed:
- Walking: eight per cent / six per cent
- Cycling: five per cent / 24 per cent
- Public transit: six per cent / 24 per cent
- Passenger in a vehicle: four per cent / three per cent
- Driving alone: 73 per cent / 39 per cent
- Other: four per cent / four per cent
With public transit, respondents’ main requests were for:
- Bussing to begin earlier and end later on weekdays and to occur on weekends and on statutory holidays
- Buses to run on 30-minute cycles instead of the current 40-minute cycles
- Improvements to bus stop locations and better accessibility
- Better service reliability, more bus route locations and up-to-date information with routes and schedules
- Improved transit infrastructure, such as shelters, benches, lights and landing pads
A reliable system
“We heard from the public and the public’s desire very strongly about growth in transit and the ability for transit to help this city move forward,” Bruce Belmore, from KGS Group, said while presenting the TMP during city council’s recent regular meeting.
“A good part of every transportation network is a good transit network.”
The city should create a phone app so passengers can see in real-time where the bus is, spend less time waiting outside and perceive that the system is reliable, he continued.
Four transit routes converge downtown, while the system “is at a tipping point” because it stretches to cover the entire city and requires 40-minute cycles, Belmore said. As the city grows or if the municipality wants to extend or change routes, the entire system will need to change and require more buses and staff.
Therefore, city hall should complete a transit master plan to help determine whether the city should maintain its bus routes or add more, he added.
Concerns about statistics
Coun. Kim Robinson questioned the statistics’ reliability and whether the surveys’ sample size was accurate, considering 48 per cent of people allegedly want to cycle year-round.
More than 500 people answered the survey — 800 also reviewed the material but did not give feedback — which is an adequate number considering pollsters can predict federal elections by questioning 1,000 people, said Belmore.
“What is phenomenal is I have never in my career seen numbers that high (with) that much interest in transit or cycling,” he remarked.
KGS had good responses from almost every age group, with feedback from some seniors and many younger people, he continued. The answers showed that “a robust transportation network is super important” to young people because many do not want to travel by car.
Some people expressed frustration with transit’s limited hours, with one person saying he couldn’t accept a job across the city because the bus couldn’t take him there, added Belmore. Therefore, city hall should pay more attention to cycling and enhanced transit and “micromobility” methods of transportation like e-bikes and scooters.
A frustrating battle
Moose Jaw has fought with transit issues “for ages,” and while it’s had more routes and more frequent run times before, the issue always “boils down to no ridership,” said Robinson.
Belmore acknowledged that transit “is not a money-maker” and that it’s expensive to run such a system. However, the opportunity exists to run a better system even though it’s stretched to capacity. This would require more buses, drivers and routes and a review of stop locations considering Moose Jaw has more bus stops per kilometre than other cities.
“In the end, it requires a good thorough review so you’re spending money in the right areas,” Belmore added.
Coun. Jamey Logan thought the report made interesting points about improving the transit system. Specifically, the city could relieve pressure on the bus service by improving trails and pathways, adding more bike lanes and addressing micromobility issues.
“… it would be nice to be proactive rather than reactive,” he said.
Bevan Harlton, director of operations, told council that, similar to the public, city administration also has a “strong appetite” to enhance transit services.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, July 8.
