Transportation in Grey County: Past, Present and Future 1 Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Aging Well in Grey and Bruce Counties September 25, 2019
Seniors’ Summit 2019 - Transportation 2 Transportation | Definition of Transportation by Merriam- Webster https://www.merriam- webster.com › dictionary › transportation Sep 12, 2019 - Definition of transportation . 1 : an act, process, or instance of transporting or being transported. 2a : means of conveyance or travel from one place to another. b : public conveyance of passengers or goods especially as a commercial enterprise. 3 : banishment to a penal colony.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 3 Past Transportation has been an identified barrier throughout Grey and Bruce Counties for many years. It is a daunting task that includes some out of the box thinking, cooperation between transportation providers, both private and public, and the realization that there is no cookie cutter solution. The fact that Grey and Bruce Counties is rural and vast only adds to this interesting need.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 4 Past Home & Community Support Services of Grey/Bruce has been providing non-emergency and social transportation to the residents of Grey and Bruce for over 25 years. We are a non-profit organization that is funded through the South West Local Health Integration Network. Transportation is provided by trained volunteers using private vehicles and paid drivers using wheelchair accessible vans.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 5 Past This service is available to residents in Grey and Bruce Counties who have identified a barrier to accessing existing transportation providers such as taxi, city transit, friends or family. To be eligible for this service, you must be a resident of one of the 2 counties and be 18 years of age or older.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 6 Past This service is available Monday to Saturday, 7am-7pm. With only medical rides being accommodated on Sundays. All rides are based on the availability of volunteers and vehicle capacity. All rides must be booked through the Transportation Office.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 7 Past The Transportation service will try to accommodate as many medical rides that you may require in a week based on availability and one non-medical ride a week. Medical rides can be to any location within Grey and Bruce Counties as well as to the major cities, London, Kitchener, Barrie, Toronto, Orillia, etc. Non-medical rides are limited to within 50 km of Grey and Bruce Counties.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 8 Past Transportation Fees: Local Trip – 20 km and under round trip in 1.5 hours = $10 Long Distance Trips – any trips over 20 km are calculated based on .45 cents/km using our mapping tool. Transportation Schedulers can give an approximate cost at the time of booking. Parking charges, if applicable, are the responsibility of the person taking the ride and these can be invoiced. You are invoiced on a monthly basis with all monies being paid to HCSS.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 9 Past In order to book a ride, we do require 2 business days notice. To cancel a ride we require notification by 1pm the business day before or a cancellation fee will apply. Anyone that has not used the Transportation Service before must go through Central Intake for assessment and eligibility.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 10 Past Wherever possible, we try to avoid duplicating services and HCSS will work with other transportation providers in Grey and Bruce. In 2014 Grey County Council directed staff to investigate options for a long term strategy to coordinate the rural transit systems within Grey County to provide an enhanced service while maintaining a neutral overall budget. The goal was to develop improved transportation options for the residents of the county.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 11 Past Staff worked with Lough Barnes Consulting to review what was in place for transportation at the time and what systems change might look like. Extensive consultations occurred throughout the county with the providers of transportation services, funders, council members and organizations that serve vulnerable populations such as youth, seniors, persons with disabilities and people living in low income, all of whom require transportation services.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 12 Past Findings included: By 2017 it was estimated that 1 in 4 residents would be a senior. Heavy reliance on volunteers both official and unofficial to meet some of the transportation needs within the county. Despite various services available in the community, consultation revealed the eligibility criteria left youth and people living in poverty underserved by funded services due to mandates.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 13 Past Consultant’s Recommendations: Centralized access through a 24/7 booking software would help residents to get access to existing transportation services. Coordination of the transportation services would lead to less duplication and improved operational efficiencies. The County of Grey and HCSS became partners on this project, for over a year engaging with the other transportation providers, attempting to find a way to engage the others to on board a shared scheduling technology through the existing MOVIN’GB service.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 14 Past Data gathered during this work assisted with a successful application to the Ministry of Transportation for a grant to provide more transportation for residents using existing services. Grey County received Coordinated Rural Transportation Pilot Project funding of $99,970.00 to provide improved transportation options from April 2016-March 31, 2017. In addition, the Ministry provided an additional $50,000.00 to Grey County to extend the pilot project from April 1, 2017-March 31, 2018. Grey County provided an additional allocation of $50,000.00 for each of the two years to support additional funding needs. After many meetings, it was decided to try a run from Wiarton to Owen Sound, twice weekly but then the Bruce Peninsula Transit Bus started their run and not wanting to duplicate service, the MOVIN’GB run was ceased .
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 15 Past In Fall 2017, a fixed route down Highway 10 was then planned and implemented. This route ran two return trips a day between Owen Sound and Shelburne and operated twice a week. The vehicle, 9 passenger van, had a 75% occupancy and was able to accommodate one wheelchair. This route ran with the funding from the MTO grant until March 31, 2018 and the County of Grey continued to support this route financially until December 31, 2018 pending a second successful MTO grant opportunity.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 16 Present HCSS and it’s Transportation Service continues to provide rides to the residents of Grey and Bruce Counties. Saugeen Mobility and Regional Transit continues to support their 9 member Municipalities. Public transit continues within the City of Owen Sound. Taxis in various towns throughout Grey and Bruce Counties are operating. Private transportation services continue to expand throughout the 2 counties.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 17 Present In spring 2018 The County of Grey again engaged Lough Barnes Consulting to support a new Community Transportation Grant opportunity through the Ministry of Transportation. Public consultations through online surveys and engagement with service providers, organizations and employers occurred, along with data gathered during the initial grant period led to a successful application for a funding allocation for 1.85 million for a five year program that would involve a long distance intercommunity approach as well as a local route to connect residents within their communities.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 18 Present Funding has been divided into two levels, local and intercommunity . It is anticipated that the local (Launch Pad, Hanover and area) project will start October 2019 to align with the start of programs. A local transit solution for Hanover and its surrounding area to support student transportation to and from Launch Pad. A local solution in Northwest Grey and Bruce County (Owen Sound, Georgian Bluffs, including Wiarton). Service will be three days per week between Owen Sound and Wiarton along Highway 6.
Seniors’ Summit 2019 – Transportation 19 Present Highway 10/ Highway 6 Corridor The fixed route will operate between Markdale and Owen Sound. Service targeted for employment, medical and shopping purposes. A connection southbound between Markdale and Dundalk will be developed in collaboration with the Township of Southgate. Consultation with stakeholders and experience with the earlier community transportation pilot program identified a gap in the Community Transportation funding model.
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