Several residents expressed a need for a formalized volunteer driver network or on-demand service during four engagement sessions addressing the future of public transportation in Black Diamond and Turner Valley last week.
Approximately 100 people provided input in the Black Diamond Turner Valley Transit Planning and Implementation Strategy Steering Committee’s public sessions in the two towns March 13 and 14.
The committee, which is working with Watt Consulting Group to develop a public transit strategy for the towns, collected public feedback on existing driving destinations, how people get around and challenges they face when it comes to transportation.
Black Diamond resident Donna Cooper said while she drives, she often enlists help from friends to get around at night due to her cataracts.
She said she could see herself using public transit at night and to take her to hiking trails in the Kananaskis.
“At this point in my life I don’t need it that much, but if I could hop on at AG Foods and go to Turner Valley I might do that,” she said. “If it boils down to Uber and being picked up at home, that would be good, too.”
Turner Valley couple Arthur and Chandra Howlett left the March 14 session at the Griffiths Memorial Centre in Black Diamond with questions.
“Who is going to pay for this at the end of the day?” said Chandra. “Does this mean our tax dollars are going to be going up? It has to be affordable. It can’t be a financial hardship on the user and the taxpayer.”
Although Chandra said she doesn’t need the service, she appreciates its value for seniors.
“I’m all about ‘what do the seniors need’ because that demographic certainly needs some core strategies to help them get around and increase their quality of life in terms of getting to medical appointments, picking up prescriptions, socialization, shopping and physical fitness,” she said.
Filippos Gkekas, Watt Consultant Group transportation planner, said he noticed two trends at the sessions.
Several people with their own transportation said they would like an extra options to travel to neighbouring communities while others preferred a formalized volunteer driver network or on-demand service using specific times windows, he said.
“We will analyze the data and understand if there’s a palpable need for a transportation service above and beyond what there is now in a cost effective way to meet the transportation needs of the community,” he said.
Residents currently get around using their own vehicles, asking friends or family to drive them or by paying for taxis.
Regional transportation provided by Southland Transportation’s On-it commuter service was cancelled last year due to low ridership. It began as a two-year pilot project by the now defunct Calgary Regional Partnership, which linked transit in Black Diamond, High River, Okotoks and Turner Valley to south Calgary.
Rod Ross, project lead and Black Diamond town planner, said one of the most interesting ideas he heard last week was public transportation to the Kananaskis.
“We do have an active community,” he said. “People live here because they’re drawn to nature. It could allow people to be more physically active.”
Gerry Melenka, Turner Valley planning and development co-ordinator, who spoke with Oilfields High School students at a separate session, discovered a need for transit to nearby towns to offer youth more work experience and job opportunities.
“They’re limited to Turner Valley and Black Diamond,” he said. “They want flexibility.”
As for seniors, Melenka learned many require transit to medical appointments in Calgary. Some need wheelchair accessibility and prefer door-to-door service due to mobility limitations, he said.
“Traditional bus stops don’t work for people with mobility issues,” he said. “Door-to-door service is a benefit for people where fewer steps is better.”
Melenka said taking a taxi from Black Diamond costs $20 to Turner Valley, $54 to Okotoks and $80 to High River.
Residents wanting to weigh in on public transportation in Black Diamond or Turner Valley have until March 21 to fill out a survey at town.blackdiamond.ab.ca.
Input from the sessions will be added to information already collected from stakeholders in the community and steering committee participants will review the data and provide input on the results of the sessions. A final report is expected to be presented to both Town councils this spring.
