The South East Equity Coalition (SEEC) has presented a business proposal to Steinbach City Council for a new public transit system called LinK Transit Services. The proposal was introduced during a Strategic Priorities Committee meeting Tuesday evening.
The plan outlines a transit system with designated neighbourhood stops and an on-demand service model that would include a four-vehicle fleet. The system would operate with an online booking system and a call-in option, aiming to provide affordable transportation throughout Steinbach.
How LinK Transit would work
Passengers would either call in or use the LinK Transit app to request a pick-up, then wait at a designated neighbourhood stop. The app would gather pick-up requests and plan routes for drivers, optimizing service to minimize unnecessary stops. The proposed system would be run by the Pat Porter Active Living Centre, where the city’s existing ACCESSible Transit service is currently managed.
Mayor Earl Funk said he is optimistic about the proposal, noting that he and Deputy Mayor Michael Zwaagstra have met with the SEEC several times to discuss the project. "I think this is a very good plan," Funk said. "I really like to see this plan. I want to unwrap it with council a little bit more and see if this is a viable way for us to go with transit."
Council hear that this service differs from taxi service in that riders are required to request pick-up in advance to be added to the driver's schedule, and pick-up locations are at specific spots throughout the city.
Funding requests and estimated costs
The SEEC Board has asked the city for a letter of endorsement, $6,000 in seed money and approximately $96,000 annually for ongoing operational costs. Additionally, they are seeking support from city staff in applying for grants to help fund the project.
The estimated start-up cost for LinK Transit is approximately $957,160, which includes the purchase and storage of vehicles. The proposal also includes plans to apply for $100,000 in grants from federal, provincial and municipal governments.
Deputy Mayor Zwaagstra said he was impressed by the SEEC’s level of research and the detail in their proposal. "They are serious about trying to come up with a plan that will actually work. One of the biggest challenges, and I was glad to see that they recognize it, is that transit in the way that it currently operates in many cities hasn't been terribly efficient, and so they were very quick to tell us that in their research they found that simply having a bus, driving around to defined spots throughout the day is not the most efficient way and probably would not work in a city the size of ours."
Addressing transit demand
The SEEC Board emphasized the growing need for affordable transit in Steinbach as the population continues to increase. They noted that rising inflation has made it more difficult for residents to purchase vehicles and that a lack of transportation can limit employment opportunities. "Transportation enables employment, which enables the purchase of a vehicle," the SEEC stated in their presentation.
City council will review the proposal in the coming months. "We’ll be sitting down at our study session, and we’ll unwrap it some more," said Funk. "Then we’ll know where council’s sitting, and we can move forward from there."