The City of Lacombe’s continued participation in the BOLT Regional Transit system is in question after several councillors raised concerns over low ridership numbers in committee on Monday night.

Administration is expected to report back at a future council meeting on costing for other ways to provide public transportation, as well as the implications of walking away from its 18-year transit deal with the Town of Blackfalds.

BOLT takes passengers from Lacombe and Blackfalds to Red Deer and back. According to a report from city staff, its ridership last year was 19,751 — down from 20,149 total rides in 2016.

Last year, BOLT saw a peak of 19.6 riders during the morning rush. The trough took place in the early afternoon, at 7.1. Most of those riders were from Lacombe, said staff.

For that, the city spent just under $200,000 to subsidize the service, or, $39 per household. Cost recovery was at 23 per cent.

“I have a hard time with the numbers. There are very few people that use it, and it is indispensable to them, but the vast, vast majority do not. And the vast majority are paying for it,” said Coun. Reuben Konnik, who has opposed BOLT since it was created in 2014.

He found agreement from Mayor Grant Creasey.

“I was hoping that uptake would have been substantially higher on the BOLT but it has not grown the way I would have preferred it did,” Creasey said.

“We do have limited resources and we need to use them the best possible way we can.”

Coun. Don Gullekson echoed the call for more riders.

“We have to make this thing work or shut it down,” he said.

Konnik said he isn’t opposed to public transit and wants to see if there are alternative ways to deliver it, like contracting a ride-share company or running the city’s own version of Connex, a door-to-door service by FCSS for seniors and others without access to regular transportation.

Coun. Cora Hoekstra was one who voiced support for BOLT, saying economics can’t be the only factor to consider whenever the city decides to offer services.

Several amenities like the Lacombe Memorial Centre, pool and arena are subsidized by the city at greater amounts than transit, though they see more users and recoup more of their costs.

“We as a city need to say, if we’re a place where we really desire people to live in or to settle in, we need to have all those services,” Hoekstra said.

Hoekstra said she’s talked to many riders. Some simply choose not to drive. Others have no other mode of transportation. She shared the story of one woman who depended on BOLT to reach the emergency shelter in Red Deer.

“I don’t want to name all riders as vulnerable. But sometimes, when there are services for the more vulnerable part of population, or people who are less able to have their own car, I guess in my mind, it justifies (the cost). But I’m not averse to being more prudent with our funds.”

A plan for more riders

Coun. Jonathan Jacobson said BOLT hasn’t reached its full potential yet and that as Lacombe’s housing stock evolves, people will want transit in the future.

“Lacombe was developed as a single-family dwelling community that has to drive everywhere. To have a population move in that’s going to want public transportation doesn’t happen overnight,” Jacobson said.

So far in 2018, BOLT’s ridership has grown.

From January to March, rides were up to 5,609 — an increase of 8.2 per cent over last year, and staff have an idea to work with Burman University to get more students on the buses by creating a low-cost pass for every one.

The university and its students’ association have proposed that BOLT offer a service more tailored to the school’s needs. That would include an added evening trip on weeknights, a Sunday charter focused on travel within Lacombe, while cancelling Saturday trips.

In exchange, the school would commit for three years to the proposal and collect a $200 fee from every student.

If changes took effect in September, administration’s report says the city’s subsidy in 2018 would be reduced to $191,00 and increase cost recovery to 29 per cent.

In 2019, the projected subsidy would be down to $177,000, at a cost recovery of 39 per cent.