Belleville to end Route 9 bus pilot to Thurlow Ward on April 21
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Belleville Transit’s Route 9 bus link of four small urban pockets of Thurlow Ward 2 will be discontinued by the end of April after council agreed Monday to wind down the service.
The decision comes before delivery of an expected Transportation Master Plan this spring to help guide future expansion of city transit.
The controversial trial program funded by provincial gas tax was not supported by Thurlow taxpayers, 87 per cent of whom, said in a latest survey they did not want to see their property taxes increase to pay for the extended service.
Low ridership of 36,000 riders signaled the death knell for the pilot although Loyalist College students were using the service in connection with other routes to get to and from campus, council heard.
Thurlow Coun(s). Paul Carr and Kathryn Brown said at Monday’s council meeting that feedback from ward residents didn’t support Route 9’s continued operation.
The pilot’s funding from provincial gas tax proceeds was set to expire March 31 but Carr suggested in an amendment that the route could be extended until April 21, the final day of studies at Loyalist College to accommodate students’ transportation needs.
That would be the final day of operation for the bus service, Carr suggested.
Carr also asked that instead, city staff “prepare a report for council’s consideration for operating budget to implement mobility transit service as a city wide service” to help those with special needs in Thurlow access public transportation.
Coun. Garnet Thompson liked the idea and said more mobility transit services are needed for those with special needs who depend on public transportation for trips in the community.
Carr pointed out that freeing up one bus from Route 9 would also help Belleville Transit put the vehicle to better use in under-served areas of Belleville’s Ward 1.
Brown told council after knocking on doors during the election campaign last fall, she discovered there was little support for Route 9 and voted for its cancellation.
She noted, “large empty buses running throughout the subdivisions angers people and the volume of riders onboarding largely happens at six spots along this route.”
Student fares high
The transit discussion spawned questions about a growing number of international students attending Loyalist College who need public transportation to the Wallbridge-Loyalist Road campus.
Coun. Sean Kelly voted to end Route 9 but said the college needs to step up to help the city find a better solution to crowded buses that are so full that some students are late for classes because there are not enough buses running to and from the college to meet demand.
Loyalist College reported earlier this month its highest winter enrolment of more than 3,740 students, a 27 per cent increase.
Kelly suggested the college partner on transit funding with the municipality to help reduce the $65 monthly bus pass — $520 for eight months of the year — for students to Loyalist which is far higher than other colleges across Ontario.
“Kingston can do it for $190, why are we so high? I think the college has to step up and do a partnership with the city,” Kelly said.
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