Transit Program Refresh

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Transit Program Refresh

The County of Prince Edward is in the process of reviewing and refreshing its public transit program. This process, funded by the Provincial Community Transportation Grant Program, will help the municipality plan for a public transit system that meets community needs over the next 5-10 years.

This project will roll out in a number of phases and will include opportunities for community participation. Follow the project here, engage through Have Your Say polls, surveys and discussions, and/or contact Transit Coordinator Vincent de Tourdonnet (vdetourdonnet@pecounty.on.ca) to learn how to contribute to this project.

The Have Your Say May 2024 Schedule Poll Results are in!
New Fixed Route Schedule effective June 17, 2024: (Rough version, subject to minor changes)

Background

In 2020, the County launched County Transit, the first public transit program for Prince Edward County. County Transit is a flexible and innovative transit system designed to help our rural community connect with employment, education, appointments and more.

County Transit consists of:

  • A fixed route that currently runs four times a day between Belleville, Bloomfield and Picton, Monday-Friday. (Five times a day, starting June 17, as per above schedule) This route loops around Picton to collect riders in town before heading to Belleville via Bloomfield. Then, it runs back from Belleville, depositing riders in Bloomfield and looping around Picton before ending its route at Metro. Rural residents who live within 2km of this route can arrange for the bus to pick them up and connect to the route to/from Belleville.
  • Door-to-bus-stop service for people who are more than 2km from the route, but who wish to connect to the fixed route. When booked in advance, County Transit will pick you up at your home or nearby, and bring you to a bus stop in Picton or Bloomfield to continue on the route to/from Belleville.

In addition to these services, available to everyone in The County, the municipality offers a Specialized Service for people with disabilities and seniors aged 55+. The Specialized Service offers door-to-door service, booked on demand in advance.

County Transit is a municipal program delivered by the municipality's transit service provider, Quinte Transit.

The Transit Program Refresh

The current County Transit strategy is based on research and planning conducted in 2018. This strategy needs to be refreshed to ensure it meets current and future community needs. There is significant growth and development planned for Picton and Wellington, which will impact transit needs. The County has pressing workforce recruitment and retention challenges that can be addressed, in part, through improved transit. The population is changing, with a need to support mobility for seniors, young families and workers.

Over the next 12 months, the municipality will be refreshing the public transit program through a two-phased approach:

Phase one is focused on improving the system that we have. This will involve making minor improvements to the existing system, making it easier for the public to understand and use. The goal is to increase ridership and revenues in the short term to support sustainability after Community Transportation Grant funding ends in March 2025.

Phase two is focused on longer term planning for the future of public transit in Prince Edward County. This will involve engaging a grant-funded transit consultant to refresh our long-term, County-wide transit plan. The goal is to develop a 5 to 10-year plan that meets community needs considering projected growth.

Phase One: Improving the System We Have
Activity: Make minor improvements to the existing system, making it easier for the public to understand and use
Goal: Increase ridership and revenues in the short term to support sustainability after Community Transportation Grant funding ends in March 2025

  • Assess current transit system and identify opportunities for improvements that can be made within existing budget/resources
  • Bus Stop and Schedule Review - Re-confirm locations of existing stops, adjust schedule based on actual time to drive the route, add stops along existing route as identified by drivers/community. Technical consultation on stop locations with engineering and Traffic Advisory Committee.
  • Add a fifth scheduled departure to the existing route and poll users to determine which times might serve the needs of the most riders. (Now launching June 17)
  • Explore partnership to expand service in the short term. (See The Picton Summer Loop, a new service running now through Sept. 8, 2024)
  • Information and Customer Service Review - Review transit information available to the public. Ensure that information is accurate, complete and easy to understand. Integrate new trip planning technology and digital fare box for non-cash payments. (UPDATE- May 28: we hope that our routes will be navigable with Google Transit directions by the June 17 launch of our new route, or shortly thereafter.)


Phase Two: Long-Term Planning for the Future of Transit
Activity: Engage a specialist, a transit consultant to refresh our long-term County-wide transit plan
Goal: Develop a long-term plan that meets community needs considering projected growth

  • Establish Transit Strategy Task Team to support process (reports to the Traffic Advisory Committee)
  • Identify and engage the appropriate specialist to develop a plan for a County-wide transit program plan with 5-10 year planning horizon
  • Robust public consultation on transportation needs, barriers to use, schedule and routes etc.
  • Plan presented to Council for consideration before implementation would begin in 2026 budget year

Related Projects

The Transit Program Refresh relates to two other major planning projects: the Picton Transportation Master Plan and the Delhi Community Connections Plan will both provide context for transit needs in Picton. However, the Transit Strategy Refresh will have a whole-County scope, ensuring that routes, schedules and services are designed to meet the needs of residents in towns and villages as well as in rural areas.

How to participate?

The public will be asked to participate in this process a number of times between May 2024 and February 2025. Some participation options will be simple: a short poll or attendance at a public info session, for example. Other participation options will be more in depth and participatory: a long-form survey, a youth "hackathon," or focus group for example. The County will also consult with organizations who serve transit users or potential transit users like youth, seniors, people with disabilities, people living on low incomes, post-secondary students, employers, workers and job seekers.

Recent Participation Opportunity - FIXED ROUTE SCHEDULE UPDATE

The County recently received funding from the Government of Ontario to add a fifth mid-day departure to the existing fixed route (Picton-Bloomfield-Belleville). Staff have also reviewed the current schedule and determined that it needs to be adjusted to accommodate the actual time required to drive the route. When the the Fixed Route Schedule Poll closed on May 14, it was determined that the "Base Schedule" was the preferred option by the majority of users and would-be users. A rough version of that schedule is posted above, which will be refined and publicized before it comes into effect on June 17, 2024.

Transit Program Refresh

The County of Prince Edward is in the process of reviewing and refreshing its public transit program. This process, funded by the Provincial Community Transportation Grant Program, will help the municipality plan for a public transit system that meets community needs over the next 5-10 years.

This project will roll out in a number of phases and will include opportunities for community participation. Follow the project here, engage through Have Your Say polls, surveys and discussions, and/or contact Transit Coordinator Vincent de Tourdonnet (vdetourdonnet@pecounty.on.ca) to learn how to contribute to this project.

The Have Your Say May 2024 Schedule Poll Results are in!
New Fixed Route Schedule effective June 17, 2024: (Rough version, subject to minor changes)

Background

In 2020, the County launched County Transit, the first public transit program for Prince Edward County. County Transit is a flexible and innovative transit system designed to help our rural community connect with employment, education, appointments and more.

County Transit consists of:

  • A fixed route that currently runs four times a day between Belleville, Bloomfield and Picton, Monday-Friday. (Five times a day, starting June 17, as per above schedule) This route loops around Picton to collect riders in town before heading to Belleville via Bloomfield. Then, it runs back from Belleville, depositing riders in Bloomfield and looping around Picton before ending its route at Metro. Rural residents who live within 2km of this route can arrange for the bus to pick them up and connect to the route to/from Belleville.
  • Door-to-bus-stop service for people who are more than 2km from the route, but who wish to connect to the fixed route. When booked in advance, County Transit will pick you up at your home or nearby, and bring you to a bus stop in Picton or Bloomfield to continue on the route to/from Belleville.

In addition to these services, available to everyone in The County, the municipality offers a Specialized Service for people with disabilities and seniors aged 55+. The Specialized Service offers door-to-door service, booked on demand in advance.

County Transit is a municipal program delivered by the municipality's transit service provider, Quinte Transit.

The Transit Program Refresh

The current County Transit strategy is based on research and planning conducted in 2018. This strategy needs to be refreshed to ensure it meets current and future community needs. There is significant growth and development planned for Picton and Wellington, which will impact transit needs. The County has pressing workforce recruitment and retention challenges that can be addressed, in part, through improved transit. The population is changing, with a need to support mobility for seniors, young families and workers.

Over the next 12 months, the municipality will be refreshing the public transit program through a two-phased approach:

Phase one is focused on improving the system that we have. This will involve making minor improvements to the existing system, making it easier for the public to understand and use. The goal is to increase ridership and revenues in the short term to support sustainability after Community Transportation Grant funding ends in March 2025.

Phase two is focused on longer term planning for the future of public transit in Prince Edward County. This will involve engaging a grant-funded transit consultant to refresh our long-term, County-wide transit plan. The goal is to develop a 5 to 10-year plan that meets community needs considering projected growth.

Phase One: Improving the System We Have
Activity: Make minor improvements to the existing system, making it easier for the public to understand and use
Goal: Increase ridership and revenues in the short term to support sustainability after Community Transportation Grant funding ends in March 2025

  • Assess current transit system and identify opportunities for improvements that can be made within existing budget/resources
  • Bus Stop and Schedule Review - Re-confirm locations of existing stops, adjust schedule based on actual time to drive the route, add stops along existing route as identified by drivers/community. Technical consultation on stop locations with engineering and Traffic Advisory Committee.
  • Add a fifth scheduled departure to the existing route and poll users to determine which times might serve the needs of the most riders. (Now launching June 17)
  • Explore partnership to expand service in the short term. (See The Picton Summer Loop, a new service running now through Sept. 8, 2024)
  • Information and Customer Service Review - Review transit information available to the public. Ensure that information is accurate, complete and easy to understand. Integrate new trip planning technology and digital fare box for non-cash payments. (UPDATE- May 28: we hope that our routes will be navigable with Google Transit directions by the June 17 launch of our new route, or shortly thereafter.)


Phase Two: Long-Term Planning for the Future of Transit
Activity: Engage a specialist, a transit consultant to refresh our long-term County-wide transit plan
Goal: Develop a long-term plan that meets community needs considering projected growth

  • Establish Transit Strategy Task Team to support process (reports to the Traffic Advisory Committee)
  • Identify and engage the appropriate specialist to develop a plan for a County-wide transit program plan with 5-10 year planning horizon
  • Robust public consultation on transportation needs, barriers to use, schedule and routes etc.
  • Plan presented to Council for consideration before implementation would begin in 2026 budget year

Related Projects

The Transit Program Refresh relates to two other major planning projects: the Picton Transportation Master Plan and the Delhi Community Connections Plan will both provide context for transit needs in Picton. However, the Transit Strategy Refresh will have a whole-County scope, ensuring that routes, schedules and services are designed to meet the needs of residents in towns and villages as well as in rural areas.

How to participate?

The public will be asked to participate in this process a number of times between May 2024 and February 2025. Some participation options will be simple: a short poll or attendance at a public info session, for example. Other participation options will be more in depth and participatory: a long-form survey, a youth "hackathon," or focus group for example. The County will also consult with organizations who serve transit users or potential transit users like youth, seniors, people with disabilities, people living on low incomes, post-secondary students, employers, workers and job seekers.

Recent Participation Opportunity - FIXED ROUTE SCHEDULE UPDATE

The County recently received funding from the Government of Ontario to add a fifth mid-day departure to the existing fixed route (Picton-Bloomfield-Belleville). Staff have also reviewed the current schedule and determined that it needs to be adjusted to accommodate the actual time required to drive the route. When the the Fixed Route Schedule Poll closed on May 14, it was determined that the "Base Schedule" was the preferred option by the majority of users and would-be users. A rough version of that schedule is posted above, which will be refined and publicized before it comes into effect on June 17, 2024.

  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Schedule Poll

    Good news... County Transit is adding a fifth daily departure to our fixed route schedule starting in early June! We’d love to hear from existing riders and potential new riders about scheduling options. 


    How to provide your input:

     

    1. Start by looking at the proposed Base Schedule. This schedule now includes five daily departures.*
    2. Then check out the options below that. We want your feedback on whether the Base Schedule is good as it is, OR if we should consider some different options. 
    3. Let us know how these different options work for you! 


    We appreciate your help in improving County Transit for all. Thanks for your input! See you on the bus! 


    NOTE * The new Base schedule aligns, where possible, with our current schedule, with the addition of the mid-day departure. Some departures from Metro are 15 minutes earlier, to allow for timing of the new stops, and to keep to schedule. Other changes allow for good connections with the new Belleville Transit schedule which is effective May 6. 

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Page last updated: 28 May 2024, 03:50 PM