(Cochrane, AB) – Residents are once again being invited to provide their input on the future of Cochrane’s transit service. The second phase of engagement includes new network and service design principles that considers feedback from the first round of engagement conducted earlier this year. The principles – frequency, coverage and span - will guide the next phase of transit options.
From September 4-15, residents are being asked to help prioritize these principles in a brief 5-10 minute survey.
“We want to express our gratitude to the community for the over 600 responses we received so far,” says Michelle Delorme, Director, Parks and Active Living. “We’ve used your feedback, standard practices and COLT data from the past five years to propose network and service design principles for the evolution of the COLT transit system. Your continued input in this next round of engagement is essential and will be used to determine the priority network design principle that will be presented to Council later in September.”
Launched in 2019 as a pilot project, Cochrane’s on-demand system was designed to provide affordable public transit while addressing Cochrane’s unique topography and coverage needs. As the first system of its kind in Canada, this innovative approach has since inspired other municipalities to explore similar models. After five years of operating, Cochrane has now assessed COLT’S performance and compared it to other similar communities.
“We’ve learned that while COLT is performing well for an on-demand service—offering on average of five rides per hour at a lower cost than similar communities—we face challenges like more trip requests than we can currently fulfill, and limited service hours,” Delorme explains. “The feedback we received earlier this year has confirmed some of our assumptions, and it highlighted a growing desire for a more reliable, and accessible system that can be scaled with the growth of Cochrane in a way that is financially sustainable.”
In addition to the survey, a randomly selected group of 40 individuals have been invited to participate in an online focus group in early September. This group will review and provide feedback on the network and service design principles for improving transit in Cochrane, ensuring that a wide range of perspectives are considered in the planning process.
Residents are encouraged to participate in the survey, available in person at The Station, Library, and RancheHouse and online at www.letstalkcochrane.ca/transit