Despite the Transportation Master Plan being completed in Lloydminster in May 2024, the future of public transit in the border city is still unknown.
The master plan surveyed over 2,500 people. More than half of those surveyed live on the Alberta side.
“There was some options that we looked at. One of the challenges is the number of participants of the survey were huge, 2,500 plus, but 80 per cent of them owned their own vehicle,” said Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers.
The survey captured nearly 10 per cent of the overall population with 84 per cent of those expressing support for public transit in Lloyd. Of those surveyed, seven per cent were unsure.
The master plan identified a medium-level service as the preferred choice as it provides city-wide service coverage with relatively high access to transit service at the neighbourhood level.
The master plan also showed the increase of seniors taxi vouchers being used reaching almost 25,000 in 2023.
Notably from the feedback, respondents identified taxi trips as being too expensive at $15 one-way. There was also a concern for the potential raising of taxes in Lloydminster.
The master plan was presented over half a year ago and there still has yet to be movement on a decision regarding public transit.
“Right now, its gone back to administration looking at some further refinement. Certainly there’s been some discussion and I’ve chatted with some people and they’ve asked,” said Aalbers.
Adding to the potential cost of the transit plan would be building any facilities as a central meeting point for the buses. Aalbers says there is a good solution in the city.
“A facility such as the mall, what we saw in the original proposal from the consultant that just did the work. Would it work or not, or is it possible? Yeah, it’s possible. The mall plays a huge role in this,” he said.
He says the mall would also see benefits from this arrangement.
“Because we need a central hub and if we didn’t have to build another, it would make a lot of sense to take advantage. I think the mall would also see the advantages of being a gathering place,” said Aalbers.
Despite the master plan being completed recently, Aalbers says there’s money set aside for another study.
“There was some money set aside to do some future study this year in the budget,” he said.
While the details of what another study would look like are still unknown, Aalbers comments the federal election casts doubt on the idea of public transit.
“There’s so many factors around public transit that for us to step forward and say we’re going to do x today or tomorrow, I’d be very hesitant to lead the charge until we know what we have, the direction of the federal government,” said Aalbers, explaining the operational cost coming back to the city is something they’ll have to consider.
At a recent council meeting, Coun. Michael Diachuk spoke to the importance of public transit in Lloyd.
“From my perspective, I think one of the things we’ve talked about is looking at some alternatives for transit. I believe the only way we’re gonna be successful is with a partnerships with the school divisions as well as the college. We all need to work together around that,” he said.
Diachuk was speaking specifically to the need for public transit serving both school districts and the college.
He says he wants to be able to create a transit model the schools could tap into and use.
“This is one where, we as a city, can’t go on it alone. I think virtually every transit program we’ve seen that works is still losing money. We want to see transit as a shift in culture where students see it as an alternative to every kid getting a car when they’re 16 years old,” said Diachuk.
Aalbers says Border City Connects works with the school districts to provide transportation.
“I understand Border City Connects has a contract with both school boards to ensure those individuals that aren’t able to use an ordinary school bus have access to transportation to the school,” he said.
“We need to have some in-depth conversations with two school boards, with Lakeland College.”
Aalbers says the plan is in administration’s hands for further refinement.
“I think we really need to dig in a little deeper with administration and find what is the potential usage,” he said.
Read more: Public transit ‘not that simple’: Mayor
