The Public Services Standing Committee is scheduled to meet today at 5:30 p.m. It will be the committee’s first regular meeting in five months.
The Committees and Boards page of the city’s website informs the “Public Services Standing Committee meets the third Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m.”
Today’s agenda includes an item of critical importance to many Elliot Lakers: ‘Transportation Study Update.’
An attached memo informs, “Since [July 10, 2023], Staff has been working with the consultants to plan deliverables, the first of which is a survey to capture public input on the transit system. This survey will be delivered via the city’s website and will be going live before mid-March.”
Last month, the results of a separate transit study were shared online when researcher, Rachel Barber presented her study of Elliot Lake's public transportation.
The study, conducted for a PhD thesis, focused on accessibility to healthcare for Elliot Lake residents using public transportation.
Barber collected her data in July 2023 and presented the conclusion January 2024. The webinar was attended by participants across the province including some City of Elliot Lake staff and local residents.
Barber’s study has no connection to the city or the $57,588 the council approved for a transit study, last July.
The transportation study informs service improvements
The cost of the city’s study is part of a $937,500 available budget to improve local transportation. It comes from an agreement ‘inked’ by the previous council.
On Mar. 22, 2021, the city signed the “Investing in Canada’s Infrastructure (ICIP) – Transit Stream - Funding Agreement for a multi-year transit review project. Aimed at reviewing and improving overall accessibility and operations for a more reliable and higher quality transit service.”
The March 2021 report to council detailed, the “Total eligible project costs: $937,500 (including 25 per cent contingency as recommended for capital projects escalating over multiple years).”
“Total project funding: Federal (40 per cent) $ 375,000 Provincial (33.33 per cent) $ 312,469 Municipal (26.67 per cent) $ 250,031 Total $ 937,500.”
The 2021 report informed, “As reported to council, the city may use the gas tax funds that are for transit towards their contribution. Over the span of the project, the Municipalities Contribution would be just over $83,000 per year whereas the gas tax funds for transit have historically averaged around $120,000 annually.”
Public transportation is critical for many Elliot Lakers
As previously reported by ELT, Barber noted that “in 2017, Elliot Lake 'published an age-friendly action plan, and they also became a member of the World Health Organization Global Network for age Friendly Cities and Communities in 2018.'”
The Age Friendly Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet tomorrow, Feb. 21 at 5 p.m.
Also tomorrow, one hour prior at 4 p.m., the Accessibility Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet.
The public transportation update is not on either agenda.
While the Public Services Committee has not had a regular meeting since September, the committee held a special meeting on one day's notice last week.
Two days later, at a special council meeting called to approve the committee’s recommendations, Mayor Andrew Wannan explained the urgency, “we can all appreciate the urgency for the need for our arena.”
Public Services Committee, Tues. Feb. 20 - 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. Open to the public.