The survey results are in, and Collingwood residents want two accessible taxis to run on-demand until midnight.
Looking to the future, the town is choosing to focus on offering those on-demand taxi services in-house through their TransitPLUS model, rather than continuing to contract it out to Ace Cabs.
During their meeting on Dec. 16, council received a presentation from the town’s transportation co-ordinator Sandy Falcon on the state of Collingwood’s transit services, and the results from the accessible taxi service survey completed in 2024.
“The data indicates a significant need and reliance of accessible taxi services in Collingwood,” said Falcon in her presentation to councillors. “The closure of Ace has heightened the urgency for additional transit options.”
Currently, town transit runs 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week through Landmark. This year, Falcon said fares were increased after a five-year hold: adults now pay $2.25 (up from $2), student/seniors pay $1.75 (up from $1.50) and the student monthly pass is $15 (reduced from $30).
As part of the 2025 budget, staff prepared a costing scenario that will see transit running 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, both for CollTrans and TransitPLUS accessible services, at a cost of $229,505, minus the $84,000 the town was paying Ace Cabs to run the accessible taxi service once that contract is terminated.
As of the third budget draft, council has kept this request in the budget, and council passed a motion on Monday to request Landmark extend the hours locally as soon as possible.
“Transit is one of those things where, you have to build it and then they will come,” said Coun. Deb Doherty. “I anticipate that once we have hours that are practical, we will see increased ridership.”
An expansion of on-demand transit in Collingwood is also expected to come in 2025.
On-demand transit differs from conventional (route-based) transit because there is no fixed route or schedule. In an on-demand system, the buses are dispatched on a request basis by customers booking rides in advance. Rides can be booked as early as seven days in advance and up to 30 minutes before pickup.
Originally soft launched in Collingwood in June 2023, the town started by running just the Crosstown bus route on-demand only on weekends.
Further roll-out of the program was paused as the town worked to hire a community transportation coordinator to oversee the program. Falcon was hired this past August.
Falcon said a pilot project will be launched in late 2025 to learn and support on-demand service through a fixed route.
“On-demand is best implemented when it’s all or nothing,” said Doherty during council discussion. “A partial roll-out tends to create confusion in users. It can artificially negatively impact the results. We have to get it going sooner rather than later.”
Also planned in 2025 is a potential expansion for transit routes, to include Poplar Side Road, Slalom Gate and a Nottawa extension.
“Although routes can’t be extended overnight, there is planning and research taking place to make safe and effective choices,” said Falcon.
Live maps will also be rolled out in 2025 through the town’s website, which will show the location of CollTrans buses in real time.
“I think people are really going to enjoy seeing where their bus is while they’re waiting,” said Mayor Yvonne Hamlin.
Ninety-eight people completed the accessible taxi service survey between Sept. 25 and Oct. 18. Overall, the town heard that respondents used accessible on-demand or taxi service between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., but would like to see the program extended to two vehicles running until midnight daily.
Falcon said more residents have moved over from the Ace Cabs service to the town’s TransitPLUS service since Ace Cabs modified their hours in October.
The survey results showed the town should be increasing awareness around the town’s accessible transit options, expanding accessible services, enhancing user experiences and offering more community engagement/participation when planning for the future.
To respond, the town is planning a new public communication campaign in 2025, and will make the other changes outlined above.
At the end of discussion, councillors voted unanimously in favour of extending transit hours, and terminating its contract with Ace Cabs for accessible taxi service. Deputy Mayor Tim Fryer declared a conflict on the Ace Cabs item and did not vote on that portion.
