Council put the brakes on a transit pilot project, which would have connected the public to CrossIron Mills mall via a shuttle bus on weekends.
During a lengthy discussion May 21, aldermen wrestled over the benefit of partnering with the mall to provide an hourly loop from Main Street to First Ave, then Eighth Street, Yankee Valley Boulevard and the Sierra Springs Terminal before moving to the mall.
The bus would run as an eight-month pilot project 16 times (or eight round trips) over the course of a Saturday and 12 times on Sundays.
“This isn’t a good business decision,” said Alderman Murray Buchanan. He said the additional routes will depreciate the buses faster and the replacement of these buses would have to be paid by taxpayers.
“How do we get to the point where we think it’s right to get our business owners and taxpayers to pay to replace (the buses)?” he asked.
Christ MacIssaac, the City’s transit coordinator who presented the report to council said the buses currently have a seven year lifetime. He said the mall would be responsible for paying the operating costs and for marketing.
The City would provide the fleet, establish and collect fairs and pay for some marketing as well.
He said the reason to work with the mall is to help create a larger local transit culture.
Currently, employees heading to CrossIron Mills can take a shuttle paid for by the mall, connecting from the Sierra Springs station.
There is no service or fare integration between Airdrie’s transit system and this shuttle meaning, passengers need to pay two separate fares when using both services.
As well, the current schedules don’t align so people using both services have to wait for a connecting bus at the Sierra Springs Terminal with wait times between 23 to 53 minutes.
“I think it’s a great initiative and I will definitely support it,” said Mayor Peter Brown.
Alderman Ron Chapman agreed.
“We need to get the transit culture going, we need to get the youth involved,” he said saying the mall is a big draw for teenagers.
The City recently hired HarGroup Management Consultants to conduct a survey of 387 residents asking them about Airdrie’s Transits services. As part of the survey, residents were asked if they would use a transit service between Airdrie and the mall in Balzac.
Forty per cent said they would be very likely to use it and an additional 22 per cent said they would be somewhat likely to use it, a report to council explains.
Still, not all aldermen were convinced.
“We are asking taxpayers to bring shoppers in (to Balzac) and not Airdrie,” said Alderman Allan Hunter, echoing Buchanan’s concerns.
“This would be an eight-month trial,” urged Alderman Kelly Hegg.
“So if we get feedback from business or not … it would provide a reason to discontinue.”
Hegg suggested tabling a decision to allow staff to talk with mall representatives about including a capital program with the agreement to deal with bus depreciation.
The vote was defeated.
Hunter, Buchanan and Fred Burley voted against.
MacIssaac said unless council gives direction to reopen this transit strategy, the plan will not proceed any further.
Council did, however, approved new routing for the Inter City Express (ICE) bus, which travels from Airdrie to downtown Calgary during the weekdays. The bus will now stop at the Saddletowne LRT station in Calgary’s northeast with a stop at CrossIron Mills on its return trip to Airdrie.
The mall will provide a $20,000 annual operating contribution for the service.
Buchanan and Brown were opposed to the ICE bus initiative. Alderman Glenda Alexander was absent.
For more details on the ICE bus agreement, read the May 30 edition of the Airdrie City View.
