Bumpy ride

Fresh initiative to expand and integrate transit options in the County

To view the PEC Transit Research Project click here

Ashley (not her real name) is having trouble finding work because she doesn’t have experience. But until she can land a job—she can’t gain experience. It is a bitter circle faced by many young job seekers. Fortunately, Ashley has received some assistance from a Picton-based agency, to help her find an employer willing to provide her the necessary work experience. But Ashley lives in Picton. The job is in Bloomfield. She doesn’t own a car, nor the means to get one.

It’s a hurdle faced by dozens, perhaps many more, folks every day. A hurdle to education, training, skills development and jobs. It is a barrier faced particularly by the most vulnerable in our community.

As Neil Carbone, Community Development department chief observes, “transit issues are linked to food insecurity.” He is citing a County Community Foundations study, Vital Signs, that describes the issues faced by Ashley and many others. Many factors are interlinked, but together the result is a stunting of the effectiveness of the very programs and services that have been developed to help these folks.

Sometimes, however, a solution goes right past our door—yet it remains, inexplicably, out of reach.

As it turns out, a bus service passes through Bloomfield and Picton twice a day—every business day. Once in the evening and once in the daytime. It is mostly empty. Deseronto Transit travels to Bloomfield to pick up passenger and drops them off—outside the County.

The bus service would very much like to help Ashley and others.But Deseronto Transit isn’t allowed to pick up and drop off within the County. It can do one or the other—but it can’t do both. Its permit doesn’t provide for ‘intercity’ service.

There is, however, an easy work-around available—council passes a motion granting Deseronto Transit this permission.

The last time it came before council, however, County taxi firms complained. Council turned Deseronto Transit down.

“This has been bubbling underneath the surface some time,” said Kathy Kennedy, executive director for the Prince Edward Learning Centre— an agency that provides adult learning and basic skills training in Picton. “But now there are a number of people looking at transit solutions and trying to move this forward.”

The County Community Foundation (CCF), headed by Brian Beiles, is looking at bringing a variety of social agencies and transit providers—Deseronto Transit, Quinte Access and the taxi service operators—around a table in search of a solution.

“We are investigating how we can expand existing services where possible, better integrate the ones we have and understand the gaps that remain to figure out how best to bridge them,” said Beiles. “There is some enthusiasm around the table. Where it is lands, at this point it is too soon to say. But we are making good headway.”

Kennedy agrees that taxis must be, and will continue to be, an integral part of the transit system— but says there are immediate opportunities that can be pursued.

“We have barriers that are preventing people from participating in these programs,” said Kennedy. “We have existing infrastructure that could be used much more effectively. Let’s use what we already have—and make it work better.”

Susan Stolarchuk, head of Deseronto Transit, says her service can help right away. Further, it is willing to work with the taxi companies and Quinte Access to develop a comprehensive solution.

“I can provide this service without any real additional costs—it is just a matter of getting council approval,” said Stolarchuk. “It’s not a hard thing. I already have a public transit licence.”

She adds that improvements to transit will come to the County “it is just a matter of when it takes place.”

Carbone says his department will soon present council with a report recommending they provide a letter to Deseronto Transit enabling them to begin picking up and dropping off.

“After that we can start to look at connections with other transit services on the other side of the bridge,” said Carbone. “Perhaps shuttle service to other parts of the County.”

There is considerable experience and insight for the County to draw upon.

In 2011, the Prince Edward Lennox and Addington Community Futures Development Corporation funded research by the Monieson Centre at Queen’s University to investigate and evaluate potential transit routes based upon population and other data housed in the County’s geographical information system. It was developed as a model to evaluate rural transit routes. That report is available by clicking here.

Ashley got the job and the work experience. The Picton agency was able to find another pool of money to pay for a taxi to transport her back and forth from Picton. It is possible her taxi passed the near-empty Deseronto bus on her way to and from work.