Grey County council is on board with looking into a potential regional transit network involving Bruce and Dufferin counties.
County councillors approved a recommendation during a committee of the whole meeting June 12 to undertake a request for proposals process for a rural transit solutions study.
The county is planning to use a $50,000 federal Rural Transit Solutions Fund grant for the study.
A report from Grey County’s Manager of Community Transportation Stephanie Stewart says Grey, Bruce and Dufferin counties — as well as Saugeen Mobility and Regional Transit — formed a working group earlier this spring and “are prepared to undertake a thorough study of a unified regional transit model.”
“This is just the first piece of the puzzle … to begin this study, begin the work to start the RFP, to put out a proposal to acquire someone who will be qualified to do the study and help develop our future plan for a tri-county regional transit system,” Stewart told Grey County councillors.
West Grey Mayor and Grey County Coun. Kevin Eccles asked if the study would focus on amalgamation of existing transit services offered in Grey, Bruce and Dufferin counties?
Stewart says it would include costing and a detailed plan about “not an amalgamation, but a collaboration of the services that do exist.” A needs assessment, transit network plan, fare structure proposal and provider/fleet plan would be included in the rural transit solutions study as well, Stewart’s report says.
“And where can we improve? And how can we utilize vehicles more wisely? And also integrate better with Dufferin County, Bruce County and our specialized transit agency (Saugeen Mobility and Regional Transit,” Grey County’s Manager of Community Transportation told councillors.
The federal money for the rural transit study is separate from the $9.5-million commitment announced by the Ontario government recently to support continued operation of Grey Transit Route 2 Dundalk to Shelburne, and for “integrating new and existing transit services” in Bruce, Grey and Dufferin counties.
