The City of Lacombe is once again going to take a look at some ways to expand public transportation in our city, a few months after the BOLT regional transit system stopped operating in Lacombe.

At their September 28th, 2020 meeting, Council approved a motion put forth by Councillor Don Gullekson to prepare a report about the possible expanded use of the Connex bus system, which is currently only utilized by the Lacombe and District FCSS to assist those with mobility issues get to where they need to go.

Gullekson says he brought this motion forward last year but it was defeated. He hopes they'll reconsider this option now that BOLT is gone.

“I believe BOLT had no chance of success because of the fact that we weren’t a community that used transit. So I think that has to be cultivated before we can look at any potential inter-city bus service down the road. We have to have a culture of using public transportation, which we don’t have. So I thought, potentially, there may be a use for our Connex busses to expand their service and start to provide some inter-city bus services to all citizens instead of the service it’s providing today.”

Lacombe resident Angie Ahlquist using the Connex bus system in January of 2020 to get around town. But at $50 for a round trip into Red Deer, she will be unable to use Connex for her weekly trips into Red Deer for her acting classes.

He says public transportation systems, even long-established ones like the Edmonton LRT or the subway systems of New York City, never turn a profit, because it's about providing a public service more than making money.

“We have to have it so that it’s viable to a point where you can subsidize it, and make it worthwhile if you had the numbers of people utilizing it. The fact that so few people were using BOLT made it a relatively easy decision (to cancel). It would have been nice to see it successful but it just wasn’t."

Gullekson says it's not like they have to reinvent the wheel, as they are several close-by communities such as Blackfalds or Leduc, that already have a successful model of inter-city public travel.

This report likely won't be ready until the second quarter of 2021.

In the meantime, the City of Lacombe announced this week that they have extended their Connex service agreement.

The agreement will be for a five-year term with an optional five-year renewal, while also leaving room for any changes or improvements during that tenure, including annual budget approval.

"Lacombe City Council is pleased to extend this long-standing agreement with Lacombe FCSS," Mayor Grant Creasey said. "Connex is a critical transportation service for Lacombe residents who need it the most. I want to thank FCSS for continuing to operate and manage this service and look forward to Connex being there for citizens well into the future."

Under the newly agreed-upon terms, the City will continue to manage the Connex fleet, including fleet maintenance, fuel supply, and lifecycle replacement. FCSS will continue to operate the service.