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Broadway to house town’s new transit transfer terminal

May 1, 2020   ·   0 Comments

By Mike Baker

Orangeville’s fabled transit transfer terminal project has finally been given the green light. 

First proposed by the town’s previous council more than five years ago, the terminal has long been considered to be the pivotal component of the Town’s plans to expand its transit services. On Monday (April 22), Orangeville Council voted in favour of situating the station on Broadway, between First and John streets. 

“A centralized transfer point within the downtown core will serve to enhance access to local businesses, restaurants, medical services and cultural events held within the central business district, and, ultimately, will increase the ridership of our transit system,” said Martin Woodhouse, Vice Chair of the Orangeville Transit Task Force.

Location of the transfer station has been debated for some time. A report prepared by Dillon Consulting in 2017 recommended Broadway be considered. After the Orangeville Downtown Business Improvement Area (OBIA), with the support of businesses along Broadway, lobbied against the move, it was suggested the station could be situated on Centre Street, in front of the Edelbrock Centre.

Much work was carried out on that particular proposal, which went as far as Town staff developing a site plan that would have seen a lay-by lane introduced at the site. Eventually, that site was scrapped due to its close proximity to the community garden, where volunteers grow fruits and vegetables for themselves, local residents in need and the Orangeville Food Bank. 

Mr. Woodhouse noted the transit committee considered five locations for the transfer station, but decided Broadway, between First and John, was the optimal place.

“A strong centralized public transportation system is critical to the health of the entire community. We, as a committee, fully endorse improved mobility and access to public transport for youth, seniors, the disabled and citizens in our community who choose not to, or cannot afford to own and operate a vehicle,” Mr. Woodhouse said. “This recommendation will improve their access to employment, shopping and services they otherwise may not have easy access to.” 

Last August, Orangeville Mayor Sandy Brown and Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones made a presentation in Orangeville, announcing a $2.1 million investment to Orangeville’s transit system. The project was to be funded equally by the federal, provincial and municipal governments, at around $700,000 apiece. It was announced back then that the money would be used to purchase two new buses, a glass shelter, benches and a lay-by bus lane.

While Orangeville’s transit system began operations way back in December 1991, it has undergone something of a transformation in recent years. The service currently has three routes, with buses operating six days per week – 7:15 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 7:15 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. on Saturdays. There is, currently, no service on Sundays or on holidays.

The previous Council made a commitment to revamp the transit service beginning in 2014 – purchasing three new buses in subsequent years to service three routes. While a fourth route has long been in the works, it was officially approved on Monday. It’s expected that route will encompass most of the northwest portion of the town, specifically around the newer subdivision on Hansen Boulevard. There is currently no timeline on when that fourth route will be introduced. 

While the BIA once again objected to the transfer station being located along Broadway, the main reason being that it would take away 11 “much-needed” parking spots in the downtown core, Coun. Todd Taylor warned Council that, should they vote down the recommendation brought forth by the local transit committee, there was a risk the transfer station project may not move forward at all. 

“If we don’t pass this for downtown tonight, we won’t pass the Centre Street location, which means our plans for transportation in Orangeville fall apart. The reality is we’ll never grow this transportation system, and we’ll have sections of town that will not receive service by the buses as we’re currently set up,” Coun. Taylor said. “It’s not lost on me that not everyone is supportive of the location (on Broadway), particularly the BIA… It would be my thinking that if this isn’t downtown, I don’t know what we do for the future of transportation in this town.”

Coun. Taylor, along with councillors Joe Andrews, Grant Peters, Lisa Post and Deputy Mayor Andy Macintosh voted in favour of situating the transfer station on Broadway, while Coun. Debbie Sherwood, who currently sits on the BIA board, and Mayor Brown voted against the proposal. 

In total, Council approved eight recommendations by the Orangeville Transit Task Force, which included signing off on eventually moving to a four-route bus system, taking a more in-depth look at advertising strategies on municipal buses and shelters, the Town taking no further action on the taxi service issues in the community, that ride-sharing options, such as Uber and Lyft, not be pursued by the municipality and that, interestingly, the Town not consider partnering with the County of Dufferin to extend transit services beyond Orangeville’s boundaries. 

Also included was a note that the Town look into the feasibility of purchasing its own accessible bus, or contract out an accessible bus to provide specialized transit services to those who need it in Orangeville. That point surely brought a smile to the face of Kimberly Van Ryn, who lobbied Council earlier on Monday to improve its transit system to make it more feasible for people with disabilities to make use of it. 

“People with disabilities need appropriate transit to live full lives. None of them are being served by the current bus system. Buses just are not accessible,” Ms. Van Ryn said. “Using school buses on the routes causes major difficulties for people with mobility issues, and makes it impossible for people with wheelchairs to ride. Bus times can be inconsistent, meaning people with disabilities and health concerns risk being left outside in the heat and cold just trying to get around town. This makes riding Orangeville transit unpredictable and unwelcoming.”

She added, “There is also a complete lack of dedicated public transportation for adults with developmental disabilities to access local amenities, programming and recreational and community events. All citizens of our town need to live healthy and vibrant lives.”

She pointed to successful programs in Caledon, Guelph and Peel Region, which offer transportation to individuals with even the most complex accessibility issues, as examples of what the Town of Orangeville should be aiming for. 

“It is a well-researched and documented fact that social isolation increases the risk of both major mental health and physical issues. The transit system is ripe and ready for some major changes in our town. I can see the planning, time and thought that has gone into the process thus far, but our thinking must go further. Without transportation, we reduce people with differences to second-class citizens.”

Mayor Brown noted that, with additional money potentially available now that the Town isn’t planning to construct an expensive lay-by bus lane on Centre Street, the municipality could look into providing a door-to-door service for residents who have accessibility issues.

“I hope we can investigate this – you mention Caledon and Peel Region (as having programs for people with accessibility issues), however our pockets are not as deep as either of those organizations,” Mayor Brown said. “The tax base here has already been hammered – we’re going to have to look very closely at how we can find money to provide additional transportation services going forward.”

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