Expanded transit, handivan

The 2015 budget includes additional hours and routes for the Community Connection bus, as well as an additional Handivan to accommodate growing demand.

Community Connection: The addition of service for the Community Connection will address concerns raised by various seniors in the city and would provide an opportunity for those in the community to have direct access to various “senior friendly” locations in the city.
Similar to the existing Route 300, these new routes have been designed with senior residences, retirement villages and major shopping centres in mind, and would use the Burlington Seniors’ Centre as the Community Connection hub. Instead of two days per week from 9am to 4pm, the service would run five days a week from 10am to 3pm, with two additional routes to serve more areas of the city. The additional cost is $337,000.

Handivan Service: An additional Handivan and driver at a total cost of $180,000 are proposed to address growing demand for specialized transit service and meet customer travel needs. in 2014, 675 trips had to be declined for lack of availability; that is projected to be 450 in 2015 with the additional van and driver.

The capital budget also includes $155 per year for bus stop location upgrades, including benches, display cases, schedule information signs, landing pads, and $105,000 per year for transit shelters.

My Take: I support these investments (and more) to ensure transportation for our citizens who don’t drive, or choose for environmental reasons not to drive. Access to transportation that meets their needs helps our residents fully participate in the life of the city.
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