INNISFAIL — A new transportation agreement has been approved between the Town of Innisfail and the Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion that will see a cost hike for community bus users, and the town committing to a marketing and communications campaign to increase awareness that its three-vehicle fleet is available to all Innisfail and area citizens.
For several years, the town and the legion have partnered on transportation services for a PACE bus, which now can carry up to 12 passengers or six wheelchairs, and a 47-seat community coach.
Last month, the town acquired a wheelchair accessible van, which can accommodate four passengers, at a cost of $96,300 to transport seniors and physically challenged citizens to out-of-town appointments.
The cost was offset by a $20,000 grant, as well as an anticipated $10,000 Innisfail Lions Club donation.
On May 24, Meghan Jenkins, the town’s director of community services, told town council at its regular meeting that the Transportation Committee was recommending new agreements to reflect the addition of the new van to the fleet, as well as rate changes, and health and safety and “operational realities.”
Jenkins’ report to council asked council to approve separate operation agreements between the town and the legion for the PACE vehicles (new van and existing bus) and the community coach. Motions for both agreements were unanimously approved by council.
Council was told by Jenkins the new agreement will continue to see the legion managing drivers and bookings, with the town providing repairs, maintenance and storage, although the legion may handle the latter for the new van by storing it at the Dodd’s Lake Manor garage.
The town will also provide an amount not exceeding $88,000 to cover operational expenses for drivers cost, fuel and administration.
“These costs are confirmed on an annual basis, respecting the need for the legion to generate a reasonable profit,” Jenkins told council.
However, while there will not be any user rate changes for the PACE bus, there will be an increase for the community coach.
Jenkins told council the Transportation Committee proposed a rate increase from $2 to $2.75 a kilometre for local use, and from $2.20 to $3 a kilometer for non-local, and from $45 to $55 an hour effective Sept. 1.
Jenkins said the users of the community bus, including the Innisfail Eagles mens’ hockey club, will be notified that the reason for the cost hike was due to increased fuel costs.
She added the other change will see the town receiving a community bus pay back increase, from 20 cents per kilometre revenue, to 25 cents per kilometre.
Jenkins said the town is seeing more regular bookings with the community coach as it comes out of COVID. She said staff is focusing “heavily” on increasing awareness of the coach to allow for an evaluation of the service level later in the year.
“We are going to roll out a marketing and communications campaign to increase awareness, to really be able to evaluate the usage, who's using it, and the feasibility of that community coach bus,” said Jenkins, who told council that there’s nothing in the community coach agreement that prevents out-of-town citizens from booking the vehicle.
The same holds true for the PACE bus, said Jenkins, noting the new agreement outlines a defined service area, which includes Innisfail and the surrounding area, extending south to Bowden, north to Penhold, west to Spruce View, and east to the Pine Lake area.
“One of the challenges when we reached out to Penhold and Bowden and even Red Deer County about support for the operational is that it hasn't been very well marketed or consistently provided as a service into those areas, sort of a one off, depending who you talk to,” Jenkins told council. “So, it was difficult to quantify to those communities what their residents were benefiting from the service.
“We'll also be updating our marketing material to make it very clear where the vehicles can service and that it is available to anyone. It's not limited to seniors. it's not limited to those with mobility issues. It’s something that is available to anyone within that service area.”
Jenkins told council Red Deer County has received a grant to conduct a feasibility study on transit and transportation in the region or within the county. She said the county will be exploring a range of different options and the town is hoping to be involved in that process.
Todd Becker, the town’s chief administrative officer, told council that if it wants administration to seek additional funding to serve a broader regional area its direction would be required.
Becker later added it would be best to hold off contacting other jurisdictions until the town collected more user data.
