A new plan for Guelph Transit could see it move to a grid structure and away from a central hub system.
Staff will make a series of recommendations to city council during a meeting on Nov. 15 that should result in high service levels on major corridors and expanded Sunday service hours through the implementation of on-demand service.
Pending council approval, the implementation of the system is set to start next year with most of the changes happening in the first seven years of the 10-year plan.
In a report, staff said Guelph Transit provides high-level coverage across the city but does not provide quick service in most cases.
Many of the routes consist of large one-way loops and require a transfer downtown, but also results in commuters going out of their way to get where they want to go. Express routes are almost non-existent as well.
“In short, a passenger can get almost anywhere in Guelph but their trip is likely to be significantly longer than someone driving a car to the same location, which is not conducive to attracting new ridership,” the report suggested.
“Guelph has the advantage of a relatively grid-like street network, which is beneficial to introducing a grid-like transit network with more cross-town routes and routes that completely bypass a hub when appropriate.”
The city said the plan being recommended to council is one of three that came about after 20 months of work.
This plan called Future Ready is being recommended because it provides frequent and convenient transit, which is a priority to the community. This plan also aims to increase trips by 4.3 million over 13 years, the city said.
The estimated annual net operating cost for 2022 and 2023 for the plan is $1.77 million and $1.26 million, respectively.
The city would need to tack on a 1.26 per cent property tax increase next year, followed by another 0.45-per cent increase in 2023.
Council would have to vote to add the increases to this year’s budget process.
If the staff-recommended plan is approved at Council on Nov.15 and the budget is approved on Dec. 2, staff will move forward to create a detailed service implementation plan.
More details on the transit plan can be found on the city’s website.