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<\/p>\nRegional bus routes connecting some southern Alberta towns to Calgary are hitting the end of the line this year.<\/p>\n
On-It Regional Transit said this week it plans to discontinue three bus routes it operates between Calgary, Cochrane and Okotoks. The company set May 29 as the final day of service for its Okotoks route, as well as its bus running from Cochrane to Brentwood in northwest Calgary. The last day of its bus line from Cochrane to downtown Calgary is scheduled for June 30.<\/p>\n
In a statement posted online, On-It said several factors are making its southern Alberta bus routes unsustainable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith an aging fleet of motor coaches, combined with significant increases in operating costs over the past several years, there are no economically viable options available to replace these buses while maintaining affordable ticket prices,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n
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(Terri Trembath\/CBC)<\/p>\n
The routes’ current ridership isn\u2019t high enough to cover the company\u2019s operating costs, the statement said.<\/p>\n
Unused tickets for discontinued lines will be refunded, it said.<\/p>\n
On-It’s bus routes have run between Okotoks and Calgary for a decade, and between Cochrane and Calgary since 1994. The buses previously operated under the name of the company that owns and operates On-It, Southland Transportation.<\/p>\n
Cochrane exploring alternatives<\/p>\n
On-It’s announcement came as a surprise to Cochrane, said the town\u2019s director of social development Matt Knox. But he said the decision makes sense given the costs Southland faces.<\/p>\n
Roughly 50 people use On-It daily to travel between Cochrane and Calgary, largely to commute to work or school, said Knox.<\/p>\n
Cochrane launched several in-town fixed bus routes last summer to complement its on-request system. Knox said introducing more fixed routes to reach more of Cochrane is a higher priority for the town than a route to Calgary.<\/p>\n
But a lot of Cochranites have also asked for a commuter bus to Calgary, Knox said. The town is exploring whether any private companies can fill the void Southland is leaving behind, even if the answer offers less service or smaller buses.<\/p>\n
Knox said if another level of government helped fund inter-region transit in Alberta, the town would consider running a bus line to Calgary itself. Failing that, the town cannot afford to run a similar bus route.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we did the feasibility assessment for the municipality, the larger issue is the capital costs associated with these buses,\u201d said Knox, adding that rising fuel prices are also a factor. \u201cYou\u2019re looking at a million dollars per coach bus, and it\u2019s not sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Okotoks bus cut on short notice<\/p>\n
Tanya Thorn, the mayor of Okotoks, said her office heard about On-It\u2019s decision about an hour before the news went public.<\/p>\n
She said she\u2019s unsure if the town could have supported Southland, but the two sides could have discussed whether there were any other options to keep the route operating.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt definitely wasn\u2019t on our radar at all. We hadn\u2019t gotten any heads-up at all that there were concerns or there were any challenges with it,\u201d said Thorn.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery business that operates in our town doesn\u2019t need to give us a heads-up. But I do think when you\u2019re providing services that residents rely on, we could be a partner. There could have been a conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn said she wishes the town had had more of an opportunity to discuss potential options with Southland before the closure of the On-It transit line to Calgary was announced. (Monty Kruger\/CBC)<\/p>\n