Strathcona County has moved to reject an invitation to join the Regional Transit Services Commission, which would have seen one service encompassing Edmonton and 12 of its neighbouring communities.
Strathcona County council made the decision Tuesday, saying it made the choice after consulting a report from the City of Edmonton that examined the regional service idea, as well as the current operations and rider satisfaction of Strathcona County Transit service.
“Simply said, there are no cost savings for our citizens,” said Mayor Rod Frank.
“At this time, we cannot justify handing over decision-making authority for $100 million worth of flagship transit services and assets, to a commission where we would only have one vote of 13 to influence transit service for our community and beyond.”
Talks began for the regional service plan in 2017, when Edmonton and St. Albert kicked off the idea. A year later, 11 other communities, including Strathcona County, joined the discussion.
“We are appreciative of the opportunity to sit with 12 other municipalities over the past 16 months to further understand our region’s transit needs,” Frank said. “We see great value in continuing these conversations, outside of another level of bureaucracy.”
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The other municipalities still involved in the talks include Edmonton, St. Albert, Beaumont, Devon, Fort Saskatchewan, Leduc, Leduc County, Morinville, Parkland County, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Sturgeon County.
Strathcona County council also passed a motion Tuesday to continue exploring partnerships with sub-regional transit initiatives.
Strathcona County currently employs 173 staff to provide transit services through a fleet of 89 buses and four transit facilities.
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