Council announces rest of transit cuts as it looks to streamline service
By Timothy Schafer
A total of five cuts will be made to transit service in Nelson, with the first coming into effect Aug. 1 with the elimination of Sunday service.
Council voted in late June in favour of slicing and dicing the Sunday offering in order to save $31,000 out of the City’s annual budget for transit.
The City will also cut service to Perrier Road, Crease and Richards streets, no “overload’ runs to the Waldorf School and will reduce its summer service.
BC Transit is not recommending the cuts, they come from a desire of council to reduce the cost of delivering transit in Nelson. BC Transit was asked earlier this year to find a way to save the City $128,000 on their annual operating costs for transit.
During the 2011 budget discussions it was identified the City’s contribution to Nelson Transit would have to be increased by $128,000 from 2010 to fund the higher costs of operating the transit system in the city.
The share of the City’s share of transit costs has almost doubled since 2008, including a $128,000 increase to the City’s budget for 2011. During this time, a City report stated, ridership has been “stagnant” or declining and operating costs have been rising.
The extra revenue to fund the shortfall has been allocated from increased parking meter rates ($100,000) and an increase in transit rates ($28,000).
The short term route changes and service adjustments will reduce the total cost of providing transit in Nelson by up to $232,000 in 2012, with the City saving $124,000.
However, whether ridership will stay at the current level or decrease in the wake of the cuts remains to be seen, BC Transit regional manager Kevin Schubert told council.
“This is the best service we can provide, at the cost savings directed,” he said.
“This is a very radical adjustment to how we deliver transit, and that is what we are going to be going to going to the public with,” said Coun. Donna Macdonald.
“I think we are overly reluctant to do any of this … but not delivering service outside the city boundaries is an obvious one. If we are making service reductions, I think reducing service outside the city makes the most sense.”
Schubert said part of the Perrier Road rote was outside of city limits. The route had around 3,000 riders annually. The route is slated for elimination Jan. 1 of 2012 and will save the City $14,000 annually.
That financial number needs to be beside each route as well, said Mayor John Dooley. Council needs to know what the City contributes before they can make a decision after the fall Transit Review for the entire City and regional service is complete.
“If we are going to put those numbers out there, the least we can do is ensure it is an efficient system,” he said.
Summer service will be one of the major cuts made for next year (Sept. 1, 2011), with frequency dropping from every 30 minutes to every 45 minutes. The move would save the City $31,000 per year.
As well, the Waldorf School overload runs will be eliminated as of Sept. 1, 2011, sending a savings of $21,000 per year the City’s way.
However, elimination of service for Crease and Richards streets caused some concern on council. Coun. Macdonald argued that, because of a concentration of low-income housing and seniors housing in the area, the route was vital for the community.
“There has to be give and take in all areas, said Mayor Dooley. “But this is the starting point for the longer term piece and, on those details, there needs to be more discussion,” Mayor Dooley said. “This has been accepted as that starting point and we can go out to the public from there.”
He said they would have to have restructuring of the transit service on a regional basis before they went out to the public. Details of that plan will be further ironed out by a public process in the future.
A larger plan for the City and the regional system won’t be able to be implemented until late 2012, said City manager Kevin Cormack. BC Transit is now working with the City to identify short-term efficiencies and ways to better integrate transit in the region.
The larger regional plan will be completed in October of 2011, which will be followed by a series of community open houses in the affected areas.
People can refer to the City’s webpage for further updates or service changes as the information becomes available.
Funding for the Nelson Transit System is cost shared among the City of Nelson, the Regional District of Central Kootenay and BC Transit.
Decisions about fares, routes and service levels are made by the City of Nelson and the Regional District of Central Kootenay based on information and planning provided by BC Transit.
In the regional transit area from Nelson and Castlegar to Trail and Nakusp, there are seven individual systems all being managed independently.
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