bracebridge transit & mobility 5-year business plan
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BRACEBRIDGE
TRANSIT & MOBILITY
5-YEAR BUSINESS PLAN
MOVING TRANSIT
FORWARD FROM
2021 THROUGH 2025
SUBMITTED BY:
LEFT TURN RIGHT TURN LTD.
To the attention of Geoff Carleton
Director of Public Works
Town of Bracebridge
February 26, 2021
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Overview .............................................................................................................................................................. 1
2 Background .......................................................................................................................................................... 2
3 Opportunities for the Future .................................................................................................................................. 5
3.1 Sustaining Ridership Growth ........................................................................................................................ 5
3.2 Improving Bracebridge Mobility .................................................................................................................... 7
3.3 Matching Transit Service to Demand ........................................................................................................... 8
3.4 Engaging with Riders and the Broader Community .....................................................................................10
3.5 Meeting the Needs of a Changing Community ...........................................................................................11
3.6 Ridership Impact and Recovery from the Coronavirus Pandemic ................................................................12
4 Proposed Transit Network ..................................................................................................................................14
4.1 Analysis of Network Alternatives ................................................................................................................14
4.1.1 High Frequency Service Where Warranted ....................................................................................15
4.1.2 Reducing Trip Duration ..................................................................................................................16
4.1.3 Maximizing Ridership Growth .........................................................................................................17
4.2 Recommended Two-Route Conventional Network .....................................................................................18
4.2.1 Route 1 Routing Details .................................................................................................................21
4.2.2 Route 2 Routing Details .................................................................................................................22
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
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4.2.3 Considerations for Future Routing ..................................................................................................23
4.2.4 Bus Stop Infrastructure ..................................................................................................................23
4.3 Integrating On-Demand Service with Bracebridge Mobility .........................................................................24
4.3.1 Bracebridge Mobility Expansion and On-Demand Rationale ...........................................................26
4.4 Operating Hour Extension ..........................................................................................................................27
4.5 Proposed Annual Network and Service Changes .......................................................................................29
4.6 Considerations for Service Delivery ............................................................................................................29
4.6.1 Clear Roles and Responsibilities ....................................................................................................30
4.6.2 Performance and Incentivization ....................................................................................................32
4.6.3 Contract Oversight and Service Monitoring ...................................................................................33
5 Operational Enhancement ..................................................................................................................................35
5.1 Service Standards ......................................................................................................................................35
5.2 Vehicle Operations and Maintenance .........................................................................................................39
5.3 Improved Operational Technologies ...........................................................................................................42
6 Customer Experience .........................................................................................................................................48
6.1 Transit Event Partnerships .........................................................................................................................48
6.2 Communicating and Marketing Service Changes to the Public ...................................................................49
6.3 New Fare Programs and Incentives ............................................................................................................50
6.4 Bracebridge Mobility Rider Handbook Update ............................................................................................52
6.5 Improve Customer Touchpoints Through Technology ................................................................................54
6.6 Bus Shelter Advertisements .......................................................................................................................57
7 Implementation Plan ...........................................................................................................................................58
7.1 Project Summary .......................................................................................................................................58
7.2 Project Staging and Implementation Highlights ..........................................................................................60
7.3 Implementation Roadmap ..........................................................................................................................61
8 Financial Impact Assessment ..............................................................................................................................63
8.1 Capital Budget Assessment .......................................................................................................................63
8.2 Operating Budget Assessment ..................................................................................................................64
8.2.1 Revenue Considerations for the Future ..........................................................................................65
Appendix .................................................................................................................................................................. 65
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
1
1 OVERVIEW
Since introducing a permanent public transit service in 2016, the Town of Bracebridge (Town) has begun to see the
increasing social and economic benefits of improving transportation options for residents who cannot or choose not to
rely on a car. The Town Council Priorities have further emphasized the importance of improving transportation options
as one of its Key Priorities. As the first five years of continuous operation of Bracebridge Transit and its companion
service, Bracebridge Mobility concludes, this strategic Business Plan proposes a bold vision for further improving
transportation options in Bracebridge as well as to improve access to opportunities and services for all residents.
Building on the foundation of Council’s Community-Based Strategic Plan, coupled with current and future ridership
desires, this document provides details for future improvements to Bracebridge Transit and Bracebridge Mobility
services to achieve the following vision over the next five years:
“A modern, flexible and accessible travel solution for the residents of Bracebridge, that responds
to the needs of those who depend on it while improving transportation options for all.”
Town staff built upon this vision by identifying the following six strategic priorities for transit (outlined in Figure 1) that the
Town seeks to address through this five-year plan:
Theme Details
1 Expand service Meet current demand, accommodate new growth and encourage transit use
Introduce a new route to provide better service coverage in the urban area
Strategically grow the service area to meet the needs of residents on the fringes of the urban area
Expand service hours to improve access to services and amenities during the evening and on
weekends
2 Improve the customer
experience Optimize service scheduling, routing and service delivery to improve the customer’s experience on
transit
Match routing and service delivery to the demand and specific needs of customers
Better understand the needs of the core ridership of Bracebridge Transit
Identify opportunities to reach new demographics and grow ridership
Work with other Town initiatives and community groups to promote transit to the broader community
3 Enhance accessibility Provide better service coverage to reasonably reduce walking distance between transit stops and
key destinations
Improve stop-level accessibility for individuals with limited mobility
Address the growing demands for more accessible service driven by the aging population
4 Harness modern
technologies Improve management and service delivery efficiencies through enhanced scheduling and booking
of Bracebridge Mobility trips
Provide customers with the modern technical features that they expect
5 Improve relationships
with operators Improve understanding of operations and technology contracts
Facilitate ongoing engagement with contractors, operators and drivers to build relationships and
improve customer service
6 Leverage the available
political and financial
opportunities
Leverage growing momentum for community improvement projects among residents and within
Town Council
Maximize return of grant funding from upper levels of government to support community
transportation projects in rural communities
Prepare for potential stimulus funding to support local communities in the COVID-19 pandemic
recovery
FIGURE 1: Summary of key themes in support of the Five-year vision for Bracebridge Transit and Bracebridge Mobility Service in Bracebridge
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2 BACKGROUND
The present conventional and specialized transit services were in development since the late-2000s when the initial
Transit Service Feasibility study was completed in 2008. The conventional transit service was launched in August 2016
as Bracebridge Transit—Ride the Wave operated by Hammond Transportation Ltd. (Hammond), with specialized
services operating under the banner of Bracebridge Mobility launching the following year in January 2017. Challenges
with the original service contractor for Bracebridge Mobility resulted in early cancellation of the original contract and a
new contract established in 2018 with Hammond to provide specialized transit services.
Hammond and Town staff have been working collaboratively to ensure that transit services are meeting the needs and
expectations of its riders. Figure 2 illustrates the existing fixed-route service. Adjustments to the fixed-route service have
been made over the last three years to account for insufficient run time and requests from riders. Today, fixed-route
service covers much of the urban core of Bracebridge, with specialized service extending to the boundaries of this area
as defined in the Town’s Official Plan.
FIGURE 2: Existing Bracebridge Transit service map.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
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The current Bracebridge Transit conventional service encompasses a single route that operates in a continuous loop
on a one-hour cycle. Generally following a path between the Walmart Supercentre on Depot Drive across town to the
north-end Bracebridge Sportsplex, before following a path southward towards the south side of the Muskoka River via
the Ball’s Flats Retail Area, and then north-easterly back to Depot Drive. The route deviates several times to approach
key residential and commercial areas more closely, providing a relatively high level of service coverage despite the
complex topography and road network.
The Town joined the Metrolinx Transit Procurement Initiative in 2016 to purchase a vehicle to support the Bracebridge
Transit conventional service. The vehicle purchased is an Arboc Spirit of Mobility Low Floor, 8-metre bus with space for
20 seated customers, or 15 customers and up to 2 personal mobility devices (see Figure 3). The vehicle is equipped
with a ramp that can deploy down to street level, or to a raised curb at bus stops and is accessible by ambulatory
passengers as well as passengers with mobility devices. Hammond was contracted to operate the vehicle on behalf of
Bracebridge Transit, and provides a backup vehicle for instances when the primary vehicle is offline for maintenance.
All equipment on board the vehicle is owned by the Town, including the fare collection system and automatic stop
announcement system.
FIGURE 3: Existing Arboc Spirit of Mobility transit bus owned by the Town for Bracebridge Transit service. Photo taken by LTRT staff.
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Bracebridge Mobility operates using fully accessible vans supplied by Hammond that enhances the conventional service
by providing an inclusive and fully accessible alternative within the urban core of Bracebridge. The vehicle is a Dodge
Promaster (see Figure 4) with a rear hydraulic lift and up to five seats for ambulatory passengers and support persons.
Bracebridge Mobility operates in accordance with Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requirements,
providing accessible transit service to any eligible individual who meets the stated criteria.
FIGURE 4: Dodge Promaster vehicle like the ones used by Hammond Transportation for Bracebridge Mobility service. Photo from Hammond
Transportation https://hammondtransportation.com/accessibility-fleet/.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
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3 OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FUTURE
To best plan for the future of transit services in Bracebridge, a comprehensive study of the current state revealed several
opportunities for growth and risks that might hamper that growth if not mitigated against. Through a series of workshops
with Town staff, interviews with stakeholders and a town-wide survey collecting community feedback on potential transit
improvements, the following six key strategic goals were identified:
1. Foster and sustain long-term ridership growth;
2. Improve the capacity and operations of accessible transportation services;
3. Ensure that service matches the ridership demand within the urban boundary;
4. Engage with riders and the broader community; and
5. Meet the needs of a changing community.
These six strategic goals were identified through an assessment of strengths, challenges and opportunities conducted
in collaboration with Town staff. The details for each are presented in the following sections.
3.1 SUSTAINING RIDERSHIP GROWTH
The existing service has experienced steady ridership gains year-over-year and has grown a dedicated base of transit
riders who depend on the service for their daily activities around town, as shown above in Figure 5. Ridership on
Bracebridge Transit and Bracebridge Mobility services grew by over 70% from 13,996 riders annually in 2017 to 27,193
in 2019. Ridership has fallen considerably in 2020 on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, but January 2020 outpaced
the same month in 2019 by over 48% with 2,385 rides completed that month versus 1,600 the year before. Since March
FIGURE 5: Historical ridership since inception. Note that Bracebridge Transit service began in August 2016 while Bracebridge Mobility service
began in January 2017. At the time of writing, Bracebridge Mobility ridership figures were not available for 2020.
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2020, Bracebridge Transit limited the number of passengers allowed on-board, which has resulted in several instances
where the bus has had to leave customers at the stop, which is further depressing ridership. Given normal
circumstances, it is likely that the conventional transit services in Bracebridge would have continued to experience
impressive growth, and likely will return to this pattern of growth after the pandemic emergency restrictions are lifted.
Efforts to grow ridership will be much more effective by concentrating service enhancements in existing high-demand
areas as compared to expanding service to new areas and destinations. Figure 6 below highlights the key ridership
nodes based on 2019 ridership data. Historical stop-based ridership information is found in Appendix A.
Transit Node
Daily Ridership by Node
Node Daily Boardings
Ball’s Flat
Retail Area
14
Sportsplex 12
Depot Dr.
Commercial
Area
10
Downtown 9
Pine Street 6
Oakwood
Heights
6
Ecclestone at
Beaumont
4
Cedar at
Muskoka
3
FIGURE 6: Daily ridership trends by stop clearly highlight nodes including the Balls Flats Retail Area, Bracebridge Sportsplex, and the
Depot Drive Commercial Area.
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Added convenience in the form of faster, more frequent, reliable transit will open new opportunities for residents in
Bracebridge, improving overall access to services and the community for all residents. This enhanced service will
support growing ridership and economic activity as the world looks forward to the end of emergency health measures
imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and continues a trajectory of social and economic growth.
3.2 IMPROVING BRACEBRIDGE MOBILITY
Challenges with service delivery on Bracebridge Mobility in its first few years of operation make it more difficult to
understand the growth in demand for this service. In 2018, over 2,677 rides were recorded between April and December
(an average of 297 per month) after Hammond took over operations of the service. In 2019, 3,836 rides were recorded
or approximately 320 per month. This represents an annual growth of approximately 8%. An additional 1,556 trips were
offered to support persons or companions of the customer, a significant increase over the 127 offered in 2018. This is
important in the context of specialized services since, under the AODA, transit agencies are required to offer
complimentary travel for support persons of paying customers and must be accommodated on the vehicle.
2018 2019
Ridership 2,677 3,836
Vehicle-Service Hours 3,250 3,250
Trips per Vehicle-Service Hour 0.82 1.18
FIGURE 7: Bracebridge Mobility historical service efficiency expressed as Trips per Vehicle-Service Hour.
The Town developed an eligibility system for Bracebridge Mobility in accordance with the AODA and began accepting
clients in 2017. Community Living South Muskoka(CLSM), who provide social services and day programming for
individuals with disabilities, previously had an arrangement for transportation services with the original provider of the
Bracebridge Mobility service. After the company defaulted, their booking practices were grandfathered into the
Bracebridge Mobility service as operated by Hammond since 2018. One of the challenges observed is that CLSM trips
are usually booked well in advance for numerous clients and clustered at one time which can sometimes edge out other
trips requested on somewhat shorter timeframes.
Bracebridge Mobility, like many of its peer accessible transit services, struggles during peak times to accommodate all
trip requests from customers. After conducting our analysis of the current level of service, we determined that
unaccommodated trips are not likely due to insufficient operating capacity, but due to inefficient scheduling practices.
Bracebridge Mobility’s service efficiency (as expressed in trips per vehicle service-hour) is significantly lower than
comparable specialized transit service and what Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) considers best practice.
Currently, Bracebridge Mobility delivers 1.18 trips per vehicle service-hour (see Figure 7). This is significantly below the
CUTA best practice of 2.5-5 trips per vehicle service-hour and below the mean for peer agencies 2.4 trips per vehicle
service-hour as shown in Figure 8.
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Population Served Total Annual Trips
Total Annual Vehicle-
Service Hours
Trips per Vehicle
Service-Hour
Bracebridge, ON ~ 10,000
(Urban Core) 3,836 3,250 1.18
CUTA Pop Group 3
Population less than
50,000
952,787 1,292,249 258,048 5.01
CUTA Ontario Average
All specialized transit
providers in Ontario
11,496,153 8,717,681 3,536,448 2.47
Peers, ordered by decreasing Trips per Vehicle Service-Hour
Smithers, BC 8,500 16,711 4,012 4.17
Revelstoke, BC 7,420 17,873 5,978 2.99
Fort St. John, BC 22,410 24,074 8,097 2.97
Prince Rupert, BC 12,820 5,146 1,761 2.92
Terrace, BC 16,830 6,195 2,140 2.89
Renfrew, ON 27,250 39,982 15,023 2.66
Huntsville, ON ~ 6,800
(Service Area) 6,130 2,340 2.62
Cobourg, ON 19,440 13,431 5,285 2.54
Cornwall, ON 46,340 30,902 12,742 2.43
Stratford, ON 33,000 21,291 8,850 2.41
North Bay, ON 47,080 26,189 10,943 2.39
Timmins, ON 41,000 14,709 8,120 1.81
Yellowknife, NWT 19,590 7,011 3,870 1.81
Squamish, BC 19,670 5,494 3,295 1.67
Avg (Inc. Bracebridge) 22,540 15,930 6,380 2.50
FIGURE 8: Specialized transit service efficiency from comparable peer municipalities, based on available data from CUTA Factbook, 2019. Note that
Bracebridge Mobility completes significantly fewer trips per vehicle service-hour than peers across Ontario and Canada.
3.3 MATCHING TRANSIT SERVICE TO DEMAND
Ensuring that residents within the urban area of Bracebridge have equitable access to transit service that meets the
needs of the community is challenging due to a generally low demand distributed across a complicated topography and
complex road network. The existing transit service must make numerous, time-consuming deviations into isolated
neighbourhoods to provide some access to the service for demand pockets and key destinations. This happens at the
expense of travel speed and frequency, which dissuade individuals from using transit, directly reducing demand for the
service. The resulting trade-off is that, while all areas near the transit route have access to equivalent service, the total
level of service provided is limited, generally does not meet the needs of the users and limits overall customer satisfaction
and cost-efficiency.
As transit services mature within a community, they tend to concentrate on higher-demand corridors rather than
continuing to travel through isolated neighbourhoods. This allows for scarce transit service resources to be focused in
areas where the demand warrants it while providing a minimum or alternative service in other areas where the demand
is scarce. Over the long-term, this balance must be carefully considered and aligned with other activities such as active
transportation initiatives, higher-density zoning and other sustainable urban growth initiatives.
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Through our community and stakeholder engagement we identified that one of the key drivers for transit in Bracebridge
was the desire to grow the service and serve more residents. To identify approximate guidelines for this expansion, we
began our analysis with a quick assessment of peers who provide urban transit services in relatively small rural
communities. The initial findings suggest that the Town, as well as the Town of Huntsville, provide a relatively low level
of service compared to similar operations elsewhere in Ontario and Canada.
Figure 9 highlights how Bracebridge Transit compares to conventional transit providers across key service
characteristics and indicators in communities of comparable sizes. In terms of the amount of transit service provision,
Bracebridge Transit is situated near the bottom amongst its peers. It is the only transit provider along with Huntsville to
provide only one fixed-route. These two Muskoka communities likewise provide the lowest level of service per capita.
Bracebridge Transit provides 0.36 Revenue Vehicle Hours per capita, which is significantly lower than the peer average
of 0.73. Bracebridge’s evening service is shorter than peers, with weekday evening service terminating at 6:30pm
(18:30) as compared to the peer average of 9:00pm (21:00). While three of Bracebridge’s peers also provide Sunday
service, the Town is more in line with peers in only providing service six-days per week.
Community
Municipal
Population /
Service Area
Population
No. of Routes Days of Service Weekday Hours
of Operation
Total Boardings
/ Boardings per
Service-Hour
Revenue
Vehicle-Hours /
Vehicle-Hours
per Capita
Bracebridge 16,010 / 9,230 1 6, M - S 7:30 - 18:30 23,350 / 7.1 3,290 / 0.36
Huntsville 19,815 / 6,800 1 6, M - S 8:00 - 18:00 19,270 / 8.1 2,390 / 0.35
Niagara-on-the-
lake 19,480 / 12,040 2 6, M - S 8:00 - 19:00 36,480 / 5.6 6,545 / 0.54
Wasaga Beach 20,675 / 11,560 2 6, M - S 7:00 - 21:00 91,165 / 8.5 10,682 / 0.92
Collingwood 21,790 / 21,790 5 7 Days 6:00 - 21:00 N/A** ~27,400 / 1.25**
Ontario Peer
Average 20,440 / 12,970 2 6, M – S ~7:00 – 19:00 ~ / ~ 7.3** - / ~ 0.73**
Dawson Creek,
BC 11,350 / 11,350 2 5, M - F 7:00 - 18:00 109,600 / 12.1 9,060 / 0.80
Miramichi, NB 17,500 / 17,500 3 6, M - S 7:00 - 18:00 60,000 / 6.7 8,890 / 0.51
Nelson, BC 16,070 / 16,070 7 6, M - S 6:00 - 23:00 390,450 / 33.2 11,775 / 0.73
Prince Rupert,
BC 12,235 / 12,235 7 7 Days 7:00 - 22:00 277,300 / 27.9 9,930 / 0.81
Squamish, BC 16,920 / 16,920 5 7 Days 6:00 - 2:00+ 341,410 / 17.7 19,240 / 1.14
Terrace, BC 14,210 / 14,210 5 6, M - S 7:00 - 23:00 197,540 / 23.7 8,325 / 0.59
Peer Average 3 6, M - S ~7:00 - 21:00 - / 12.1 - / 0.73
FIGURE 9: Summary of peer municipalities and the level of transit service they provide to their residents.
**Some agencies do not report to the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) and any values are approximated based on available data. Due
enhanced to the reporting capacity provided to smaller communities by BC Transit, smaller transit system data is more prevalent in that province..
+ Denotes the next day (i.e., 2:00am the next day).
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Bracebridge Transit’s relatively recent introduction has been successful in attracting a strong base of riders. However,
our initial analysis indicates that the relatively limited level of service with a 60-minute frequency and long average trip
durations will limit future ridership potential and does not satisfy the long-term expectations of potential riders. This peer
comparison helps to support the need for an expanded and enhanced transit service that meets the needs and
expectations of Bracebridge residents. This is exemplified in results of a community survey which indicated that
increased frequency was clearly the greatest transit need in the community (see Figure 10).
Of customers who responded “Other,” many comments related to improvements in frequency or speed, either through
introducing a second bus in the opposite direction on the existing loop or by adding a new route. Additional common
themes included service hour extensions during weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, improved shelters, and removing
stops from parking lots to improve travel time.
3.4 ENGAGING WITH RIDERS AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY
To realize positive benefits to the community, it is critical that engagement with riders and non-riders alike grow along
with the transit service. The Town has a strong understanding of their current riders and has conducted several
customer surveys prior to the one released as part of the development of this plan. However, there continues to be a
gap in understanding and awareness of the transit service among the broader population. Engaging with potential new
transit users requires a certain degree of pre-empting their needs for the transit service and educating them on its
FIGURE 11: Summary of survey responses indicating that most participants believe that improving the frequency of service is the most desirable
change that they would like to see in the Bracebridge Transit conventional service.
FIGURE 10: Summary of survey responses indicating that most participants believe that improving the frequency of service is the most desirable
change that they would like to see in the Bracebridge Transit conventional service.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
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benefits. It is possible that engaging the broader community of non-transit users is a result of the current service not
meeting their needs, and thus these individuals not seeing the value that transit can bring to their lives and the
community at large.
An additional challenge exists in communicating directly with riders about situations that may impact service. Customers
can access service alerts via the Town website and email alerts service and track the vehicle location using the Where’s
the Bus real-time map application available on the Town website. With operations managed separately by Hammond,
any disruptions to the transit service, such as vehicle breakdowns, traffic issues, or other disturbances must first be
communicated to Town staff, with service alerts outside of business hours simply not communicated. Customers who
call the Town for transit information can access service information only during business hours, or in instances where a
pre-recorded message is added to the voicemail system.
For transit service to be considered as a more viable alternative to other transportation modes in Bracebridge, it is
extremely important that the Town continues to build confidence in transit services by using opportunities to further their
communication with customers.
3.5 MEETING THE NEEDS OF A CHANGING COMMUNITY
Bracebridge and the District Municipality of Muskoka in general have commonly been considered holiday and retirement
communities. While there is a sizable influx of seasonal and elderly residents, it should not be discounted that younger
families and children make up a significant component of the new population growth in Bracebridge. Many of these
people, whether younger families or new retirees, are moving to Bracebridge from communities where transit service is
common. Additionally, there is a significant population of residents in Bracebridge who use community services and
depend on public transportation options to access these services and employment opportunities in town. As
Bracebridge continues to grow and change, these expectations are echoed among Councillors. Town Council has been
supportive of transit and complimentary programs including downtown revitalization and active transportation. It is
important that the Town capitalizes on this public and government support for transit and continues to invest in service
improvements that support growth.
One of the characteristics of the current ridership is that a large percentage of riders can be considered “captive” to
transit who otherwise would have few options to access services and activities in town. The transit survey conducted in
November 2020 indicates that most users do not have regular access to a personal vehicle and would otherwise not
travel if there was no transit alternative, as illustrated in Figure 12.
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FIGURE 12: Results from community survey indicating that most current riders of Bracebridge Transit services do not have a driver’s license. Those
that do have a license have limited access to a vehicle. This indicates that most users are “captive riders” who are dependent on transit for most
or all of their transportation through town.
While existing users are likely to continue to rely on transit services for transportation in Bracebridge, it is unlikely that
this segment of the population can be relied upon to sustain ridership growth over the long-term. It is critical that
Bracebridge Transit works on improving its services for all potential customers to encourage new ridership growth
among demographics who might otherwise have regular access to a vehicle. This can be achieved through several
mechanisms that generally improve the speed, reliability and frequency of transit service as well as the overall comfort
and experience using transit.
3.6 RIDERSHIP IMPACT AND RECOVERY FROM THE CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in strained resources and a drastically reduced ridership within transit agencies
and municipalities worldwide. While the challenge of emergency orders and transmission reduction is temporary, it is
likely that transit will feel long-term impacts of the pandemic through budgetary restrictions and a slow return of ridership.
The long-term impacts of increased awareness of public safety and cleanliness may impose ongoing expectations for
similar levels of sanitisation. The ability for many office-based jobs to work from home has become much clearer, and a
larger proportion of the workforce may continue to work from home after emergency orders are lifted, for part of the
work week or more. In communities where commuter travel is a vital source of transit ridership, this poses a serious
threat to revenues.
At this time, Bracebridge Transit ridership is not based on a commuting population of individuals with office jobs like
many larger cities and communities in Southern Ontario. Many previous riders who no longer take transit do so due to
cancellation of programming and other closures due to emergency orders. In fact, there is some speculation that towns
like Bracebridge may be benefactors of a population boom spurred on by an increased prevalence of working from
home. There will remain, however, an ongoing concern that public spaces, such as on board a transit vehicle, may be
vectors for illnesses, despite scientific evidence pointing to the contrary.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
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While ridership is anticipated to return slowly over several years to larger transit agencies across Southern Ontario, it is
likely that previous ridership in Bracebridge can materialize as soon as programming, community centres and
businesses reopen. The following table in Figure 13 presents the expected ridership growth based on the existing,
status-quo network between 2019 and 2025, considering the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on ridership.
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Ridership Prior to COVID-19
pandemic 27,193 34,600 41,000* 41,700 42,400 43,200 43,900
Forecast Ridership post
COVID-19 pandemic 27,193 15,691 19,500** 33,400 38,800 39,400 40,000
FIGURE 13: Baseline ridership considering the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, given the status-quo of maintaining existing service levels into 2025.
Ridership values in italics are actual counts.
*Note that our estimate indicates that by 2021, latent demand for the transit service will level-off and ridership will grow at a more modest pace.
**Note that this forecast assumes a return to pre-pandemic services and programming by fall 2021, in line with government vaccination expectations.
To maintain confidence in the public, it is vital that the Town continues to emphasize the safety and cleanliness of transit
services. Some strategies that other organizations have employed and plan to continue for the foreseeable future are:
Leveraging media, including public signage, social media and print advertising, to explain the measures taken
to protect the public and their health and safety.
Gradually relaxing occupancy limits, recognizing that with limited resources it may not be possible to provide
customers with a physically-distant transit trip. The Town has recently relaxed occupancy restrictions from five
passengers to eight. Continued relaxation must be done sensitively as emergency restrictions ease and should
paired with clear communication of vehicle occupancy limits and expectations to provide customers with
advanced awareness to make decisions.
Similar initiatives will likely be necessary well into 2021 as customers gradually become more comfortable and confident
with public activities. However, improving transit service as discussed in the following sections of this report will continue
to have the greatest impact in rebuilding transit ridership after the COVID-19 pandemic.
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4 PROPOSED TRANSIT NETWORK
Decisions related to the transit service delivery and the future design of the transit network in Bracebridge were
conducted after careful examination of current travel behaviour, community survey results, anticipated growth within
the town and tried-and-true methods for driving transit ridership in literature and peer best practices. This section details
the analysis undertaken as part of this assignment, culminating in the proposed transit service design and associated
network changes. Accompanying it is an explanation of the progressive changes that are required over the course of
this plan to successfully transition to the new network and service delivery.
The proposed network and service design is composed of six key recommendations:
Modify the Bracebridge Transit network to a two-route, bi-directional service
Provide service to all major destinations with the Bracebridge urban area, including the proposed Multi-
Use Community Centre off of the extended Salmon Avenue
Introduce an On-Demand service that leverages the expanded capacity of Bracebridge Mobility
Extend operating hours on weekday evenings
Introduce Sunday daytime service
Explore opportunities to expand the service boundary using the combined Bracebridge Mobility/On-
Demand service
4.1 ANALYSIS OF NETWORK ALTERNATIVES
The analysis considered three network alternatives that would allow for improved service in line with peer municipalities.
These alternatives were:
A. Improving the frequency of the existing vehicle by shortening the route and introducing a complimentary On-
Demand service.
B. Introducing a second vehicle operating in the clockwise direction around the existing loop, each operating on
a 60-minute frequency.
C. Introducing a second vehicle and creating two separate routes, each operating on a 32-minute frequency, and
introducing a complimentary On-Demand service.
Alternative A was screened out on the basis that there was no configuration of the service that could sufficiently reduce
the route length without requiring significant investment in On-Demand service to compensate for the loss of
conventional transit to high-demand destinations. The following subsections provide details of how Alternatives B and
C compare on several network performance criteria.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
15
4.1.1 HIGH FREQUENCY SERVICE WHERE WARRANTED
Our ridership analysis identified several nodes in the community that can benefit from higher frequency service. While
60-minute frequencies are generally regarded as the bare minimum that should be provided for sustainable transit
service, higher frequencies were the clear priority to improving transit in Bracebridge amongst survey respondents. As
illustrated in Figure 10 on page 10, 53% of survey respondents indicated that having the bus come more frequently is
the one thing they would most like Bracebridge Transit to improve. A majority also indicated that they would be willing
to transfer buses if that meant a 30-minute frequency.
FIGURE 14: Map of the service frequency difference between the recommended network and the two-way
loop network. Service is calculated as being within 400m of a probable transit stop.
Left Turn Right Turn
16
While Alternative B would ensure that there was a vehicle passing a stop every thirty-min (sixty-min in either direction),
the recommended network matches or exceeds this service frequency in nearly all areas of Bracebridge, and specifically
in the Ball’s Flats Retail Area and Downtown Bracebridge. The one exception is the area surrounding Stop 440 on
Tamarack Trail. This stop is the lowest performing location in town with an average of less than 0.02 daily riders (roughly
7 riders per year) in 2019. This location would be best served with On-Demand service on account of the very low
ridership volumes in this area. Figure 13 on the previous page shows the impact of the proposed recommended two-
route network on the stop service frequency relative to the bi-directional loop service, with the clear advantage of
significant service frequency improvements in Downtown Bracebridge and Ball’s Flats.
4.1.2 REDUCING TRIP DURATION
Trip duration is an important indicator of transit service quality and whether someone will choose to take public transit.
Lowering transit trip durations relative to car travel has a strong positive correlation with ridership growth. Lowering trip
duration also has strong correlation to increased customer satisfaction of transit.
One of the most prominent concerns with the current Bracebridge Transit route and schedule was the lop-sided trip
durations depending on the direction of travel. With the current loop, trips in one direction are often much longer than
trips in the other. While existing customers who were accustomed to the existing route suggested to introduce a bi-
directional loop, our analysis indicates that a loop-based service remains less-effective at reducing trip durations than
introducing a new route and reconfiguring the service to operate bi-directionally as per Alternative C. When compared
to travelling by car across the network, it is estimated that the recommended two-route network produces eight person-
hours (or 42%) of time-savings over the current service, while the bi-directional loop provides six person-hours (or 31%)
of time-savings. Figure 15 below summarizes the results of this analysis.
Transit Network Option
Total Daily Transit Passenger
Trip Duration in Excess of Car
Travel Time in Hours
Current 19
Two-way loop 13
Two-route (Recommended) 11
FIGURE 15: Daily transit passenger trip duration in excess of car travel time.
The following table illustrates the estimated per trip duration impacts of the recommended network compared to the
current travel times between major transit nodes in Bracebridge (Figure 16). As illustrated, the implementation of
Alternative C has significant improvements to existing transit travel patterns over the status quo. Figure 16 provides a
summary of the approximate percentage of riders who will experience longer and shorter travel times as a result of
these changes, with over 90% of all riders experiencing the same or faster trip durations over the status quo. Note that
this does not evaluate the travel time of riders in areas with new service (such as Kimberley Avenue) or where the
complimentary On-Demand service is introduced.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
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Change in average trip duration relative to the existing Bracebridge Transit Service
Trip End Location Ball’s
Flats Sportsplex
Depot
Drive Downtown
Pine
Street
Oakwood
Heights
Ecclestone
at
Beaumont
Cedar at
Muskoka
Tri
p S
tart
Lo
ca
tio
n
Ball’s Flats
Sportsplex
Depot Drive
Downtown
Pine Street
Oakwood
Heights
Ecclestone at
Beaumont
Cedar at
Muskoka
More than 15
min longer
Between 5 and
15 min longer
Approximately
the same
Between 5 and
15 min shorter
More than 15
min shorter
FIGURE 16: The average change in trip length of the proposed Two-Route Network versus the existing Bracebridge Transit service. Note that a
significant number of major trips will have shorter or equal travel time relative to today’s service. A detailed breakdown of the travel time savings by
trip is provided in Appendix C.
Percentage of Riders Average Travel Time Savings
Trips with a shorter travel
time 50.1% 14.8 min saved
Trips with a longer travel
time 9.7% 11.5 min lost
Trips that take
approximately the same
amount of time
40.2% N/A
FIGURE 17: The approximate number of trips that are impacted by the proposed changes in trip length, including
the average travel time difference relative to the existing Bracebridge Transit Service. A detailed breakdown of
the travel time savings by trip is provided in Appendix C.
4.1.3 MAXIMIZING RIDERSHIP GROWTH
Increasing service frequency and decreasing trip durations are generally the most effective means for a transit provider
to grow ridership. Research closely ties anticipated ridership with frequency of transit service and the total trip duration.
Given the location of frequency increases and the decreases in trip duration in the proposed two-route transit network,
initial estimates indicate that the recommended network could roughly double existing ridership with a growth of 55 to
75 daily riders. This is compared to an estimated growth of 35 to 55 daily riders for the two-way loop. Ridership growth
traditionally takes several years to fully materialize after a significant public transit service change.
Figure 18 illustrates the anticipated ridership growth for two-route and two-directional loop networks over the anticipated
adjustment period.
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18
Launch Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Percentage of Baseline
Ridership Growth 60% 85% 95% 100%
Alternative B:
Bi-Directional Loop 5,250 – 8,250 7,440 – 11,690 7,875 – 13,060 8,750 – 13,750
Alternative C:
Two-Route Network 8,250 – 11,250 11,690 – 15,940 13,060 – 17,810 13,750 – 18,750
FIGURE 18: Summary of annual ridership growth potential between the Bi-Directional Loop service and the Two-Route Network service based on the
status-quo service hours.
It should be noted that there is significant uncertainty with these projections, even more so in the recovery from the
pandemic. These factors are generalized based on leading research and historical trends that neglect the complexities
and site-specific conditions.
Other factors also point to the enhanced ridership growth potential of the recommended network as compared to the
two-way loop. Enhancing service for retail trips and trips to areas with strong pedestrian environments tend to have
greater ridership growth returns as compared to the average. The recommended network significantly enhances service
frequency for two major retail nodes, the Ball’s Flat Retail Area and Downtown Bracebridge. Additionally, Downtown
Bracebridge has a strong pedestrian environment and the potential for active transportation connectivity is strongest
here. Reductions in trip durations are also most significant at these two locations.
4.2 RECOMMENDED TWO-ROUTE CONVENTIONAL NETWORK
Project 1.2: New Route Introduction and Realignment and Project 1.3: Salmon Avenue Route Realignment
The analysis indicates the Alternative C, the two-route network provides the greatest benefit to existing riders and the
greatest potential to grow ridership moving forward. This network is based on the following three components
highlighted in Figure 18.
The routes would form an East-West axis and North-South axis that would cover the major ridership corridors and
destinations throughout the urban area. Route 1, which travels east-west across town, would be anchored by two major
trip generators at their extents, the Ball’s Flat Retail Area and the Depot Dr. Commercial Area. Route 2 travels north-
Introduction of an On-Demand
service co-mingled with
Bracebridge Mobility
Rerouting to a two-route
fixed network each on a 32-
minute frequency.
Expansion of the Bracebridge
Mobility service area to
encompass the entire Town.
FIGURE 19: Summary of key components of the proposed two-route network and complimentary On-Demand service.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
19
south and would be anchored by the Sportsplex and provide looping service coverage south of the Muskoka River. Both
routes would converge through Downtown Bracebridge. Figure 19 illustrates the proposed routing.
FIGURE 20: Proposed Bracebridge Transit conventional route network.
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20
The routes would operate on the same frequency in order to enable transfers at a scheduled meet and a brief layover
(referred to as a “pulse”) at the intersection of Manitoba Street and Kimberley Avenue (illustrated in Figure 20). Facilities
including a shelter and appropriate signage will be included in the vicinity of Memorial Park to serve as a transfer point
and transportation hub in Downtown Bracebridge. The eastbound Route 1 would stop adjacent to Memorial Park
southbound on Manitoba Street and the northbound Route 2 would stop next to Memorial park facing Manitoba Street.
Schedules would allow for recovery time scheduled for the intersection at the same time to facilitate transfers.
FIGURE 21: Stop locations and routing details near the proposed transfer point and transportation hub in Downtown Bracebridge. Note that scheduled
transfers would only be provided between eastbound Route 1 (stop at the southwest corner of Manitoba and Kimberley) and Northbound Route 2
(stop at southwest corner of Kimberley at Manitoba). Route 1 westbound (stop at Ida and Manitoba) would not have scheduled transfers.
Based on the anticipated travel times, it is recommended that the routes operate on a 35-minute frequency at the start
of service. This will provide for sufficient running time on both routes inclusive of transfer connection at Memorial Park,
while also providing some recovery time at the extreme ends of each route to facilitate schedule recovery, operator
breaks and mid-day changeovers.
While only representative, the following table in Figure 21 provides a suggested departure schedule for both Route 1
(Eastbound) and Route 2 (Northbound) at Memorial Park based on the planned 35-minute service frequency.
Proposed Memorial Park Departure Times
Morning Service Afternoon Service
7:30 am*
8:05 am*
8:40 am
9:15 am
9:50 am
10:25 am
11:00 am
11:35 am
12:10 pm
12:45 pm
1:20 pm
1:55 pm
2:30 pm
3:05 pm
3:40 pm
4:15 pm
4:50 pm
5:25 pm
6:00 pm
6:35 pm
FIGURE 22: Proposed departure times for routes 1 and 2 at Memorial Park. *Note weekday only trips are indicated with an asterisk. Saturday Service
would run from 8:40 am to 6:35 pm.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
21
4.2.1 ROUTE 1 ROUTING DETAILS
Route 1 introduces service on the planned Salmon Avenue extension to the new Multi-Use Community Centre. However,
prior to the extension of Salmon Avenue to Highway 118 West, Route 1 would loop via Ball’s Drive. Route 1 should only
be rerouted to the Multi-Use Community Centre if Salmon Avenue is completed to Highway 118 West to minimize
negative travel time impacts. If the Multi-Use Community Centre is opened prior to the Salmon Avenue Extension, an
On-Demand stop should be placed there until completion of Salmon Avenue and Route 1 can be realigned to serve the
community centre. Demand and travel impacts will be reviewed once the Multi-Use Community Centre is operational
and transition to a permanent stop may occur.
Route 1 travels in a clockwise direction via Taylor Road, Depot Drive and Cedar Lane to accommodate a planned one-
way northbound roadway redesign along Manitoba Street between Entrance Drive and Taylor Road. Route 1 is planned
to continue direct to Walmart and Community Living South Muskoka service. However, as future development arises in
the area, more direct routing that avoids private property will be assessed. The implications resulting from these potential
changes are significant, as the service could achieve a 30-minute frequency with direct public road travel. It will be
important to monitor travel times on an on-going basis to inform future decision-making on this issue.
The following table in Figure 22 provides a summary of the routing details for Route 1.
Route 1
Timeline Routing Details
Preferred 2025
Routing
From Highway 118 West at Salmon Avenue/West Mall Road, travel southbound on
Salmon Avenue towards the stop at the Mult-Use Community Centre
Continue eastbound on Salmon Avenue toward Wellington Street
Turn left on Wellington Street
Turn right on Highway 118 West/Monck Road
Turn right on Manitoba Street towards the stop at the Memorial Park transfer point
Continue southeast-bound on Manitoba Street toward Taylor Road
Turn left onto Taylor Road to Dudley Drive
Turn left onto Dudley Drive
Turn right on Sander Drive
Turn Right on Pine Street toward the District offices and The Pines
Turn Left on Taylor Road, continuing through the roundabout toward Depot Drive
Turn right on Depot Drive, serving the Community Living South Muskoka location on
Depot Drive
Continue southbound on Depot Drive toward the stop at Walmart
Turn back northbound on Depot Drive, bypassing the Community Living South
Muskoka in the Northbound direction
Turn left on Taylor Road
Turn left on Cedar Lane via the roundabout
Continue south on Cedar Lane to Muskoka Road
Turn right on Muskoka Road, then left onto Queen Street
Turn right onto Entrance Drive
Turn right onto Manitoba Street toward Memorial Park
Turn left on Monck Road toward Highway 118 West at Salmon Avenue/West Mall
Road
~ 11.5km
22 km/h average speed
32 min round trip + 3-
minute recovery time
A 4-minute layover is
scheduled at Memorial Park
to facilitate transfers
Remaining recovery time
can be taken either at the
Community Centre on
Salmon Avenue or at
Walmart to facilitate driver
breaks
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22
Alternative routing From Highway 118 West at West Mall Road, travel northbound on West Mall Road
toward Ball’s Drive
Turning right on Ball’s Drive
Turn left on Highway 118 West/Monck Road and continue as described
Estimated Route 1 Running Time
Time Point
Location
Memorial
Park McVittie Place Walmart
Entrance at
Manitoba
Hwy 118W at
Food Basics
Memorial
Park
Recovery
Time
Approximate
Running Time (min) Start 7 4 8 5
4 +
4 scheduled
layover time
3
FIGURE 23: Routing details for Route 1 through Bracebridge, with alternative routing proposed prior to the Salmon Avenue Extension to Highway 118
West. Proposed running time is approximate and includes up to 4 min of layover at Memorial Park to facilitate transfers with Route 2. Running time
should be verified with on-street testing.
4.2.2 ROUTE 2 ROUTING DETAILS
Route 2’s travel path on Ontario Street and Kimberley Avenue helps fill a large gap in the existing service area that is
projected to have higher ridership potential. This routing would also enable a transit stop to be located within 250m of
the Kimberley Avenue apartments, which has a high rate of requests for service. The following table in Figure 23 provides
a summary of the routing details for Route 2.
Route 2
Timeline Routing Details
Preferred 2025
Routing
From the Bracebridge Sportsplex, exit the parking lot and turn right on Clearbrook
Trail toward Douglas Drive
Turn left on Douglas Drive
Turn left on Manitoba Street, heading southbound on Manitoba Street toward Monck
Road/McDonald Street
Turn Right on Monck Road
Turn left on Wellington Street, heading southbound toward Santa’s Village Road
Turn left on Ecclestone Drive
Continue on Ecclestone Drive to Entrance Drive/Ontario Street
Turn left on Ontario Street
Turn right on Kimberley Avenue
Proceed toward Manitoba Street serving a stop at the Memorial Park transfer point
Turn left on Manitoba Street
Turn right on Ann Street
Turn left on Aubrey Street
Turn right on Liddard Street, then left on Oakwood Heights serving the residential
community on Oakwood Heights
Turn right on Liddard Street after serving Oakwood Heights
Turn left on Hiram Street
Turn right on McDonald Street
Turn right on James Street
Turn right on Manitoba Street
Continue on Manitoba Street toward McCrank Drive
Turn right on Clearbrook Trail
Continue on Clearbrook Trail to the Bracebridge Sportsplex
~ 12.9km
25 km/h average speed
34 min round trip + 1
minute recovery time
A 4-minute layover is
scheduled at Memorial Park
to facilitate transfers
Remaining recovery time
can be taken at the
Bracebridge Sportsplex to
facilitate driver breaks
Alternate Routing If sufficient time allows, it may be possible to continue the existing clockwise routing
through the Clearbrook Trail neighbourhood as follows:
From Manitoba Street and James Street, continue on Manitoba Street toward
McCrank Drive
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
23
Turn Right on Douglas Drive
Turn Right on Clearbrook Trail, continuing past the first driveway to the Bracebridge
Sportsplex
Turn left into the Bracebridge Sportsplex
Exit the Bracebridge Sportsplex parking lot and turn left on Clearbrook Trail toward
Rosemead Close
Turn Left on Manitoba Street and continue as described
Recovery time can be taken
at the Bracebridge
Sportsplex to facilitate
driver breaks
Estimated Route 2 Running Time
Time Point
Location
Memorial
Park
Oakwood
Heights
Bracebridge
Sportsplex
Wellington at
Monck
Ecclestone at
Southbank
Memorial
Park
Recovery
Time
Approximate
Running Time (min) Start 6 8 7 5
4 +
4 scheduled
layover time
1
FIGURE 24: Routing details for Route 2 through Bracebridge, with alternative routing proposed clockwise through Clearbrook Trail. Proposed running
time is approximate and includes up to 4 min of layover at Memorial Park to facilitate transfers with Route 1. Running time should be verified with on-
street testing.
The proposed alternative routing makes use of existing infrastructure but may pose timing challenges near bell times at
the Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School due to several left turn movements required to enter and exit
the parking lot during what is anticipated to be a busy traffic period.
4.2.3 CONSIDERATIONS FOR FUTURE ROUTING
The proposed routings for Route 1 and Route 2 limit vehicle travel through parking lots and cul-de-sacs to create more
direct travel patterns. Both factors decrease travel delays and enable Bracebridge Transit to operate more efficiently
and reduce trip durations which in turn enables frequency to be increased. However, as new development is introduced
in town, remaining detours to facilitate specific stops could be removed to speed up running time on both routes and
support a 30-minute frequency.
Additionally, Route 1 is proposed to be realigned in order to provide service to the future Multi-Use Community Centre
off of an extended Salmon Avenue.
It is strongly advised that the Town work with the contracted service provider to test and confirm the timings for the
proposed routings and adjust accordingly. This should be done approximately six to twelve months prior to service
launch so that routing, schedules and stop locations can be finalized.
4.2.4 BUS STOP INFRASTRUCTURE
In order to accommodate this route network, it will be necessary to install new bus stops along bi-directional segments
of the route and to accommodate routing modifications and to relocate existing bus stops where the direction of routing
is to be changed. Recommended bus stop locations are included in Appendix B. When possible, fixed-route bus stops,
apart from the transfer points stops and time point stops, should be located in the travel lane to minimize delays to the
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24
bus re-entering traffic. Where infrastructure is currently not in place to do so, future roadwork projects should aim to
implement bump-outs to bus stops to facilitate efficient transit operations and effective transportation movement.
Efforts should be made to consolidate planned bus stop infrastructure work with planned roadway work. This would
include the pouring of stop and shelter pads for the new community centre in conjunction with the current Salmon
Avenue work.
Infrastructure changes at Memorial Park will help to improve the transfer experience between Routes 1 and 2. This
location should include, at a minimum, a shelter and large concrete pads to facilitate ramp deployments and mobility
devices. Removal of select street parking locations in this area is preferable to other locations along Manitoba Street
where local businesses may raise concerns. If possible, the town should consider installing public washroom facilities in
the vicinity of Memorial Park or negotiate with local businesses in the area to allow operators access to a washroom.
This would allow for all scheduled recovery time to take place at the Memorial Park transfer point, reducing the
requirement to lay over at a second location to provide break and washroom facilities for drivers.
4.3 INTEGRATING ON-DEMAND SERVICE WITH BRACEBRIDGE MOBILITY
Project 1.1: Introduce On-Demand and Project 1.4: Bracebridge Mobility Expansion
Recommendation: New On-Demand conventional service will be introduced that will integrate with Bracebridge
Mobility. Integrating On-Demand transit with specialized transportation increases the overall efficiency of the service by
allowing conventional riders to fill extra capacity while minimizing the impact on Bracebridge Mobility riders. This is
accomplished by leveraging advanced, dynamic scheduling software and on-board technology that combines pre-
booked trips from Bracebridge Mobility customers with On-Demand requests in near-real time. There are several key
distinctions between how the service will perform for the two different customer types, however, as illustrated in Figure
24.
One of the key benefits of utilizing a co-mingled service is that, by using the same accessible vehicles, it is possible for
Bracebridge Mobility customers to have the same degree of freedom if they live within the On-Demand service zone.
While pre-booked trips will always be ensured through the technology parameters, it is possible to offer Bracebridge
Bracebridge Mobility On-Demand Service
Will continue to provide door-to-door service for customers who qualify
under the existing, AODA-compliant eligibility criteria.
Will be provided on a stop-to-stop basis with at least one stop being a
designated On-Demand stop
Bracebridge Mobility customers will continue to have the ability to book
trips for a scheduled time in advance.
Can be accessed using virtual stops at strategic locations to ensure
consistent coverage beyond the 400m walking distance from fixed-
route service. On-Demand stop locations are identified in Figure 4.
On-Demand customers must request trip at the time they wish to travel
using a smartphone or web application, or by calling in to a booking
agent. Our initial analysis indicates that most requests can be
accommodated within a pickup window of approximately 30 min.
FIGURE 25: Summary of distinctions between Bracebridge Mobility and On-Demand service.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
25
Mobility customers and conventional customers in the service area the same level of On-Demand service. Therefore,
co-mingling of service would allow Bracebridge Mobility customers to continue pre-booking their trips with the same trip
availability as before but also introduce the ability to book trips in real-time. Figure 25 on the following page illustrates
how the On-Demand service can drastically improve service coverage throughout the urban core of Bracebridge and
compliment the proposed two-route conventional transit network.
FIGURE 26: Proposed on demand transit stops throughout the Bracebridge Urban Core and select areas beyond in relation to the proposed
two-route transit network.
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26
4.3.1 BRACEBRIDGE MOBILITY EXPANSION AND ON-DEMAND RATIONALE
Co-mingling an On-Demand conventional service with Bracebridge Mobility significantly enhances the efficiency of both
transit services. The enhanced efficiency in conjunction with Mobility/On-Demand scheduling software efficiencies
enables expansions of both the conventional transit and Bracebridge Mobility service areas with limited investment.
The service efficiency of Bracebridge Mobility is significantly lower than that of comparable agencies that offer
specialized transit service and what CUTA considers best practice. As noted in the analysis detailed in Section 3.2,
Bracebridge Mobility currently delivers significantly fewer trips per hour than comparable peers who report to CUTA. At
1.18 trips per hour, Bracebridge Mobility delivers less than half of those for comparable agencies, with peers across
Canada delivering 2.47 – 2.59 trips per service-hour on average.
Bracebridge Mobility’s low trips per hour rate can mostly be attributable to two factors; low demand relative to service
provision and inefficient scheduling practices. Demand for the service will likely increase with the introduction of
conventional On-Demand stops as indicated in Figure 25. Based on the requirements of the AODA, this will include
expanding Bracebridge Mobility to the areas within 400 metres of proposed On-Demand stops (see the Service Design
Standards described in Section 5). With the adaption of scheduling software with a robust algorithm and expanded
ridership due to a service boundary increase, demand for trips is expected to rise to 2.2 trips per hour. Service efficiency
would still be expected to be lower than peers due to the Town’s large service area and long average trip length beyond
the existing urban core.
The co-mingling of On-Demand trips with Bracebridge Mobility customers will further enhance the service efficiency of
Bracebridge Mobility due to two factors.
1. Trips by individuals who do not use mobility devices are generally faster than those by individuals who use
mobility devices due to faster boarding and alighting. The introduction of conventional trips increases the trip
rate by individuals who do not use mobility devices, which reduces average trip durations.
2. Conventional transit users of On-Demand service are consolidated at convenient locations, reducing the
number of stops and increasing overall efficiency.
Through co-mingling, Bracebridge’s On-Demand service demand will grow to roughly 5 trips per hour.
Through the introduction of On-Demand conventional service and the expansion of the Bracebridge Mobility service
area, trip requests for Bracebridge On-Demand/Mobility vehicles are expected to expand from 3,836 annual trips in
2019 to 13,200 annual trips by 2025. This translates to 4-4.8 trips per hour, which may require a second vehicle.
However, with advanced scheduling it may be possible to push the capacity of a single vehicle to 5 trips per hour (Figure
27).
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
27
Bracebridge Mobility Demand and Service Design
Current Mobility Trips per Hour: 1.18
Projected Trips per Hour Demand:
4 – 4.8
Proposed Mobility/On-Demand Vehicles: 2
Projected Trips per Hour: 2 – 2.4
FIGURE 27: Estimated 2025 demand for combined Bracebridge
Mobility and On-Demand service and associated vehicle
requirements.
4.4 OPERATING HOUR EXTENSION
A key aspect of growing transit ridership and making a transit service more reliable is the provision of service during the
diverse times that an individual requires transportation. The greater the span of a transit service’s operating hours covers
standard travel hours, the more likely an individual can rely on transit as their principle means of transportation. The
extension of operating hours was one of the most frequently requested improvements to transit in the survey. In terms
of specific requests to enhance the transit experience, it followed only increased frequency and enhanced routing. Only
37% of respondents agreed that Bracebridge Transit operated when they needed it, as indicated by those who slightly
or strongly agreed to the related question in the survey (illustrated in Figure 27).
Weekday evenings, Sundays and statutory holidays were highlighted as periods that experience relative high levels of
activity and travel but are not currently served by transit in Bracebridge. The survey asked how respondents might use
service during these periods. Weekday evenings and Sundays were more popular than holidays which corresponds to
general transit and travel patterns. Over 80% of respondents indicated that they would use a weekday evening service
or a Sunday service, compared to only 66% of respondents indicating interest in holiday service (see Figure 28 on the
following page).
13%
19%
17%19%
20%
13%
A. Strongly disagree
B. Slightly disagree
C. Neutral
D. Slightly agree
E. Strongly agree
F. Do not know / Not Applicable
FIGURE 28: 62% of survey respondents do not feel that the service is running at times that are convenient to them.
Left Turn Right Turn
28
Project 1.5: Evening Service Expansion and Project 1.6: Sunday Service Introduction
Recommendation. To meet demand for service and to continue to expand transit and its reliability in Bracebridge,
operating hour extensions are recommended for weekday evenings and Sundays. At the start of the service extension,
it is recommended that Bracebridge Transit only operate Mobility and On-Demand services. This will allow the Town to
evaluate and respond to changes in demand much more rapidly than with a fixed-route service. For weekday evenings,
this would extend service from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. On Sunday, service would be introduced between 8:00 am and
2:00 pm. The flexibility of On-Demand transit model allows for adjusting service as demand is more clearly understood.
Proposed Extension Service Hour Impact
Weekday Evening Extension
6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
12.5 hours per week, 2 vehicles
~ 1,200 hours per year
Sunday Service Introduction
8:00 am to 2:00 pm
6 hours per week, 2 vehicles
~ 640 hours per year
FIGURE 30: Summary of proposed service extensions and the service-hour impact.
Based on our initial analysis, it is projected that the evening extension would see an additional 8-15 daily trips or
approximately 4-5 trips per hour. Sundays are projected to have 20-35 daily trips or 4-6 trips per hour. If demand
warrants fixed-route service (i.e. service grows beyond 6 trips per hour, and trip denials begin to accrue, see Section
5.1 for applicable Service Standards), the Town can consider adding the fixed-route services to address the strong
demand during these time-periods. The chart indicated in Figure 30 provides a summary of the annual impact on
service-hours for this service. Lastly, ridership during currently served Bracebridge Transit and Bracebridge Mobility
operating hours should grow further as individuals are able to better depend on transit as a transportation option and
are familiarized with the system.
19% 20%
34%
81% 80%
66%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Evenings after 6:30pm Sundays between 8am and7pm
Statutory Holidays between8am and 7pm
Perc
enta
ge o
f R
esponses
Some of the time
Not at all
FIGURE 29: Percentage of respondents who indicated some interest in expansion of service hours. Note that, among those who responded in favour
of evening service, the vast majority of respondents indicated that they would likely use the service at least once per week.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
29
4.5 PROPOSED ANNUAL NETWORK AND SERVICE CHANGES
Delivery of the proposed service changes requires a staged approach to ensure that all prerequisite activities,
technology and infrastructure can be procured and completed. When determining the phasing of annual service
changes, focus was placed on maximizing ridership growth potential over the next five years following the relaxation of
pandemic-related emergency response measures.
The table in Figure 31 provides details of the annual service changes required to progressively introduce the proposed
network by 2025. A detailed implementation plan is discussed in Section 7, laying out the prerequisite projects that must
be completed before advancing the annual service changes.
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Service Hours
Bracebridge
Transit
3,250
1 vehicle
3,250
1 vehicle
3,250
1 vehicle
4,400
1 vehicle Jan – Aug
2 vehicles Sep - Dec
6,500
2 vehicles
Bracebridge
Mobility/On-
Demand
3,250
1 vehicle
3,250
1 vehicle
5,400
1 vehicle Jan – Aug
2 vehicles Sep - Dec
6,590
2 vehicles
6,590
2 vehicles
Prerequisites
Procurement of
demand-
response
scheduling
solution and On-
Demand transit
app
Procure and
receive two
Mobility vehicles
to support service
growth
New operating
contract for
Bracebridge
Transit and
Mobility
On-Demand
service launches
September
Procure and
receive two
Transit vehicles
to support service
growth.
Install necessary
stop
infrastructure for
two-route
network
Two-route
network launches
September
Ridership Impact
Baseline Ridership 19,500 33,400 38,800 39,400 40,000
New Ridership - 2,900 – 4,100 12,900 – 18,600 19,200 – 27,700 22,200 – 32,100
Total Ridership 19,500 36,300 – 37,500 51,700 – 57,500 58,600 – 67,100 62,200 – 72,100
FIGURE 31: Summary of the service hour changes and the impact on anticipated ridership growth as changes are introduced. Baseline ridership
represents current estimates of status-quo ridership growth post-pandemic.
4.6 CONSIDERATIONS FOR SERVICE DELIVERY
Contracting of local transit services remains the most preferable option for the Town and is expected to remain so for
the foreseeable future. This will allow the Town to continue to benefit from the experience of transportation service
providers without having to build up the necessary internal resources to provide the same level of service. When
considering the potential opportunities for future contract delivery, there are two primary contract styles that can be
considered:
Left Turn Right Turn
30
1. A transit service provision contract, similar to the existing Bracebridge Transit contract with Hammond
Transportation; or
2. A turnkey service, similar to the existing Bracebridge Mobility service.
A high-level summary of the activities and responsibilities shared between contractors and the municipality is provided
in Figure 32.
Responsibility
Activity Service Provision Turnkey
Setting policy and planning guidelines Municipality Municipality
Planning transit service Municipality Municipality or Contractor
Providing vehicles Municipality Contractor
Providing vehicle maintenance Municipality or Contractor Contractor
Providing on-board technology Municipality and/or
Contractor Contractor
Providing and training operators Contractor Contractor
Delivery and oversight of day-to-day operations Contractor Contractor
Customer service, booking and fare media retail Municipality and/or
Contractor
Municipality and/or
Contractor
Maintaining on-route infrastructure Municipality or Contractor Municipality or Contractor
FIGURE 32: Summary of traditional responsibilities assigned to municipalities or contractors under different contracting scenarios.
Project 2: Prepare new contracts for Bracebridge Transit and Bracebridge Mobility Services
Recommendation: It is generally recommended that the Town consolidate their operations for both Bracebridge
Transit and Bracebridge Mobility into a single contract to realize operational efficiencies. Further benefits from the
service delivery can be achieved through the several considerations discussed in following subsections.
4.6.1 CLEAR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
At the present, the Town has built a positive working relationship with the existing contractor. It is important that the
working relationship continues to grow and is emulated in future contracts with the same or other contractors. One of
the key factors in maintaining and growing this relationship is through clear and mutual understanding of the roles and
responsibilities by each party. While this is particularly important in any singular contract, it is increasingly vital if multiple
contractual agreements come together to provide service. This may be the case if future contracts leverage a different
service provider for one or the other operation, or if vehicle ownership and maintenance agreements change.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
31
It is important to compartmentalize functions to allow for competitiveness in the procurement and for clear definition of
roles and responsibilities. Drawing from the outlined list of activities above, it is advisable that the Town considers
grouping these activities and assigning them to the various parties as follows:
Activity
Responsibility
Conventional Transit Bracebridge Mobility and On-Demand
Pla
nn
ing
Setting policy and planning
guidelines Municipality
It should be clearly defined that
planning transit service levels and
policies is up to the Municipality
Municipality It should be clearly defined that
planning transit service levels and
policies is up to the Municipality Planning transit service Municipality Municipality
Ve
hic
les
Providing vehicles Municipality or
Contractor
If contracted, the municipality must
clearly stipulate the expected
features that would otherwise be
included if procured by the Town.
Municipality or
Contractor
If contracted, the municipality must
clearly stipulate the expected
features that would otherwise be
included if procured by the Town.
Tra
ns
po
rta
tio
n S
erv
ice
s
Providing and training
operators Contractor
Specific customer service standards
should be established within the
contract
Contractor
Specific customer service standards
should be established within the
contract
Delivery and oversight of day-
to-day operations Contractor
Specific performance standards
should be established in the
contract. Consider performance
incentivization, particularly on this
item.
Contractor
Specific performance standards
should be established in the
contract.
Consider performance incentivizes,
particularly on this item.
Te
ch
no
log
y
On-board technology
Municipality
We propose that Bracebridge
Transit own and operate all fixed-
route technologies. If vehicles are
not owned, it should be made clear
what technology contractors are
expected to integrate with
Municipality or
Contractor
This would be defined through the
vehicle contract should it be
identified as preferable. Note that it
is important that reporting
requirements are clearly identified Back-office technology
Cu
s.
Se
rvic
e
Customer service, booking
and fare media retail Municipality
Fare sales and customer service
inquiries should remain with the
Town to keep staff connected with
customers and users daily.
Municipality or
Contractor
Fare sales and general customer
inquiries (including eligibility
decisions) should remain with the
Town. Bookings may remain with
contractor.
Ma
inte
na
nc
e
Maintaining on-route
infrastructure
Municipality or
Contractor
It is likely best to build on-route
infrastructure into general
maintenance agreements for
roadworks and infrastructure.
N/A No fixed infrastructure expected
Providing vehicle
maintenance Contractor
Specific maintenance and service
standards should be established Contractor
Specific maintenance and service
standards should be established
FIGURE 33: Proposed functional groupings for consideration when contracting future services to support competitiveness in the bid and improve the
interfaces between the contractor(s) and the Municipality when handling different responsibilities.
Project 2: Prepare new contracts for Bracebridge Transit and Bracebridge Mobility Services
Recommendation: Consider defining responsibilities as functional blocks, allowing the Town to develop appropriate
contracts that can be transferable either between the Municipality and the contractor (such as vehicle ownership) or
Left Turn Right Turn
32
between multiple contractors. Regardless of whether these tasks end up being contracted out, defining the details of
these responsibilities will greatly improve relationships between the Town and future contractors.
4.6.2 PERFORMANCE AND INCENTIVIZATION
Performance monitoring is one aspect of successful contract management but new forms of contracting, including
performance-based incentivization, are becoming prevalent in public-sector contracts to encourage greater interest by
contractors in the broader goals of the municipality. Performance-Based Contracting is becoming prevalent in
healthcare services across Ontario and is perhaps best exemplified through the incentivization programs the Province
provides doctors for working in more remote areas and the payment structures based on consultations and patients
seen.
While contractors in public transportation prefer to have a clearly defined and predictable payment structure, it is
possible to introduce performance-based incentives to encourage mutual progress toward common goals. Some
examples of how performance-based incentivization can be included in public transit contracts are discussed below in
Figure 34:
Incentive Potential Contract Terms Application Impact
1 Increased
Ridership
The contractor, in consultation with the Town,
may suggest cost-neutral improvements to
service to increase ridership beyond the
established targets. If ridership growth is 5%
or greater than target ridership, the contractor
is entitled to 15% of any additional fare
revenues collected.
Bracebridge Transit
and/or
Bracebridge Mobility
Encourages innovation by the contractor
mid-way through contract terms
Increased ridership in a cost-neutral way will
result in positive revenue returns
Establish a monitoring framework to ensure
that changes do not negatively impact
existing service
2 Customer
Service
The contractor is required to meet certain
standards for customer service and
encouraged to exceed those targets. The
Town conducts regular customer satisfaction
surveys with a target of X% satisfaction of
participants. Contractors that exceed this
target by 5% points or greater, on average,
over the course of a calendar/fiscal year, are
entitled to a bonus payment of $Y.
Bracebridge Transit
and/or
Bracebridge Mobility
Encourages ongoing improvement in
customer service.
Payment amount should be clearly defined
and allocated in annual budgets and
withheld if targets are not achieved.
3 Vehicle
Condition
The contractor is required to meet the
following minimum standards for vehicle
condition and maintenance. The Town has
established a baseline maintenance target for
Mean Distance Between Failure and service
reliability. Contractors that exceed these
annual targets by 5% or greater are entitled to
a bonus payment of $Y.
Vehicle maintenance
contracts
and/or
Operations contracts
if they include the
supply of vehicles
Encourages proactive maintenance, which
will maintain vehicle condition and value if
owned by the Town. Improves service
reliability and reduces the impact of failures
on transit service.
Payment amount should be clearly defined
and allocated in annual budgets and
withheld if targets are not achieved.
FIGURE 34: Examples of potential contractual incentives that could be included in future contracts to support innovation within the terms of the contract
and drive mutual progress toward the business goals and objectives for transit in Bracebridge.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
33
Project 2: Prepare new contracts for Bracebridge Transit and Bracebridge Mobility Services
Recommendation: Identify opportunities to introduce performance-based incentivization within contracted services. It
is extremely important that guidelines and targets are fairly established and rooted in sound evidence. Lofty targets that
are unattainable will dissuade contractors from engagement, while targets that are too easily attained will result in
excessive payouts to contractors without achieving realistic benefits for the community. Ongoing monitoring and
oversight on these items are discussed further in Section 4.6.3.
4.6.3 CONTRACT OVERSIGHT AND SERVICE MONITORING
Including a set of expectations for monitoring service and overall oversight of performance within the Request for
Proposal (RFP) and embedding these expectations in the contract will firmly establish expectations, targets and
minimum standards while providing clear guidance on how these metrics will be measured and monitored. This allows
the Town to hold the contractor accountable and provides a stable and consistent method of evaluating contract
performance.
Oversight and service monitoring at the Town will likely rely on automated reporting tools and passive historical data
monitoring. This will require specific technologies that help to simplify this process, reducing or eliminating the need to
introduce roadside supervision. Presently, the Town leverages TransitFare & Systems (TransitFare) fare management
solutions for a significant number of their reports for fixed-route service and relies on manual reporting from Hammond
for monitoring Bracebridge Mobility. Figure 35 provides a summary of performance metrics that are frequently used for
monitoring service delivery.
Metric Description Current Approach Recommended Approach
1 Total
Ridership
The total number of riders counted as the number of unique
boardings. A trip that involves transferring between two or more
services/routes should be counted as a single rider.
Leverage to evaluate efficiencies in both Bracebridge Mobility and
Bracebridge Transit services as well as to support potential
performance incentives.
TransitFare reporting Fare collection system
reporting (no change)
2 Boardings
per Revenue
Service Hour
The ratio of total ridership to the total service hours provided.
Monitor this on an ongoing basis for both Bracebridge Mobility and
Bracebridge Transit services.
This metric should be evaluated for anomalous spikes or dips.
Such instances may warrant investigation into operations or on-
board technology.
TransitFare Reporting A modified and custom-built
on-time report in
TransitFare
Alternatively, may require
investment in a CAD/AVL
solution
3 On-time
Performance
The percentage of trips that arrive at key points (Time Points) on
the route within a defined deviation. Should align with service
standards discussed in Section 5.1
When on-time performance is low, work with the contractor to
assess causes of performance to remedy through schedule
adjustments (e.g., run time adjustments) or operations supervision.
TransitFare reporting
Unclear if “on-time”
range can be modified
to accommodate
reporting
A modified and custom-built
on-time report in
TransitFare
Alternatively, may require
investment in a CAD/AVL
solution
Left Turn Right Turn
34
Metric Description Current Approach Recommended Approach
4 On-time
Transfers
The percentage of successful, scheduled transfer connections at
the network transfer point. A successful, on-time transfer
connection is achieved if both vehicles are at the transfer point at
the same time. Should align with service standards discussed in
Section 5.1
When this metric is poor, work with the contractor to assess
causes of performance to remedy through schedule adjustments
(e.g., run time adjustments) or operations supervision
Not applicable A modified and custom-built
on-time report in
TransitFare
Alternatively, may require
investment in a CAD/AVL
solution
5 Unaccommod
ated Rate
The total number of Bracebridge Mobility bookings denied as a
percentage of total requests. A target of 0% denied is desirable,
with best practice between less than 1% unaccommodated.
If this metric is high, work with the contractor to assess the causes
and to identify methods to improve accommodation rates.
Manual reporting from
Hammond
Demand response booking
and scheduling system
reports
6 Bracebridge
Mobility
revenue
operating
hours
The amount of time that a Bracebridge Mobility vehicle is actively
transporting a client or customer as a percentage of total operating
hours. This should be no less than 50%, but should strive for 70%
or greater, especially as On-Demand service is incorporated.
If this metric is low, work with the contractor to assess the causes
and to identify opportunities to minimize non-revenue time
Unclear if presently
monitored
Demand response
scheduling and dispatch
system
7 On-Demand
requests
granted
The total number of On-Demand requests granted within a
specified timeframe as a percentage of total requests.
It is recommended that all On-Demand requests granted within 30-
60 min of booking be considered successful. This metric can be
defined by policy and adjusted, as necessary.
A target of 100% is likely challenging to obtain if fully integrated
with Bracebridge Mobility bookings. A target of 80% that steadily
increases to 90-95% is likely more attainable.
Not applicable Demand response
scheduling and dispatch
system with On-Demand
system integration
8 Bracebridge
Mobility trip
duration
Average duration of pre-scheduled Bracebridge Mobility trips. It is
recommended that this be defined relative to average travel
speeds by conventional Transit service to ensure comparable
service.
For example, setting a target for 90% of all Bracebridge Mobility
trip durations within the urban core to be 30 min or less.
Unclear if presently
monitored
Demand response
scheduling and dispatch
system
9 Customer
Service
Percentage of respondents to a regular (annual or better) customer
survey that rank overall customer service as satisfactory or better.
Target at least 80%, but this should be progressively monitored
adjusted upward.
Surveys conducted on
a regular basis.
Unclear if satisfaction is
tracked and compared
on an ongoing basis
Establish a regular (annual
or bi-annual) customer
experience survey to track
overall customer service on
an ongoing basis.
FIGURE 35: Sample of recommended contractual metrics to support contract oversight and performance monitoring.
Project 2: Prepare new contracts for Bracebridge Transit and Bracebridge Mobility Services
Recommendation: Develop a robust performance monitoring and oversight plan to include as part of the RFP. Make
sure that there is careful consideration for the mechanisms (technologies and business processes) to ensure that the
metrics monitored are fairly and accurately captured before committing to the oversight plan.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
35
5 OPERATIONAL ENHANCEMENT
This section of the report discusses potential improvements to operations that can be achieved through defined service
standards, various vehicle ownership decisions and enhanced technologies. The recommendations form the basis of
projects which were assessed against the following evaluation criteria detailed in Figure 36 below.
Criteria DESCRIPTION
A: Transit Productivity Ability to contribute to growth in total ridership or riders per service-hour,
and improvements to transit mode-split
B: Access to Transit Service for the Broader Community Improving total service coverage, reducing average walking distance to
a stop and/or average waiting times
C: Responding to Demand Improving access to transit services that meets the needs of customers,
either through On-Demand access or improved service coverage
D: Access to Transit Service for Priority Resident
Communities
Improving available service in areas with a large proportion of priority
residents, or for specific types of service that support specific
communities of need.
E: Improving Operational Understanding Improves access to reliable reporting including real-time operational
metrics to better understand service and performance
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong Impact 4 4 – Exceptional
Impact
FIGURE 36: Summary of the evaluation criteria identified and prioritized in collaboration with Town staff as well as the evaluation scale and legend.
Evaluation criteria are scored from 1 to 4 and presented using “Harvey Balls” that resemble pie-charts.
Recommendations that score well in addressing the evaluation criteria are assigned a high score while
recommendations that do not score well are assigned a low score. Recommendations that have little-to-no impact on
any evaluation criteria are assigned a score of 0, represented by an empty Harvey Ball.
In addition to these criteria, an assessment of the capital and operational cost implications is also provided. These capital
and operating cost implications are carried forward into the Financial Impact Assessment detailed in Section 8.
5.1 SERVICE STANDARDS
Service standards are critical for setting ongoing performance monitoring, defining how changes to service will be
handled and establishing how customers should expect to use the service. Service standards establish the minimum
acceptable levels of performance or criteria and form the baseline for performance monitoring targets, such as those
discussed in Section 4.6.3. Service standards can be broken down into the following categories:
Service Design Standards: outlines the criteria used for decisions related to service changes, route adjustments
and stop locations.
Performance Standards: outlines the criteria used to evaluating service performance, and identifying when
service designs and operating procedures may require review
Left Turn Right Turn
36
Customer Service Standards: outline minimum acceptable standards for the customer service experience to
ensure that it is consistent and to strive for a positive and improved overall experience.
Service Design Standards
Figure 37 outlines the specific service design criteria utilized when defining this five-year plan, specifically the network
and service delivery plan outlined in Section 4.
Criteria Standard Application Notes
Coverage
(% of urban service area
population within 400
metres of a transit stop)
Fixed-route service: 75%
On-Demand & fixed service: 95%
Bracebridge Mobility service: 100%
For an area to be considered
covered by transit service it
must be within the standard
walking distance of a transit
stop.
This applies when
considering service
changes and when new
developments introduce
new areas beyond the
existing coverage of transit
service.
Stop spacing 200-400 metres for Fixed-route and On-
Demand services
Does not apply to Bracebridge Mobility
service, which operates as a door-to-door
service
All stops should aim to be
placed 200-400 metres apart
from one another. Stops
outside of that range may be
acceptable due to
discontinuous pedestrian
connectivity, with large gaps in
demand or to achieve service
coverage goals.
This applies when
considering stop locations
for fixed-route and On-
Demand services.
Boardings per Revenue
Service Hour
Minimum of 10 by Route
Minimum of 2-6 per vehicle-hour for
combined Bracebridge Mobility/On-Demand
Service
All fixed-route services should
achieve the Route standards.
If a service does not meet
the standard, it is likely that
a large segment of that
route would be better
served through an On-
Demand option.
Schedule Recovery Time 3 min or 10% of the total running time as
measured at the 70th percentile, whichever is
greater
When modifying schedules and
service, ensure that every trip
has the minimum specified
recovery time
Recovery time improves
overall schedule reliability. It
can be leveraged to provide
connection time at the
transfer location
Deviation Ridership
Demand
Minimum of 5-7 boardings per revenue
service hour along the deviation segment
A deviation is defined as a loop
branching off from the main
corridor of service to access
pockets of demand. Deviations
could include diverting into a
neighbourhood from a main
street (e.g., the Pine Street
deviation from Taylor Road).
Calculated by dividing the
total number of daily
boardings at stops along
the deviation, with the
amount of scheduled
service hours on the
segment (i.e., scheduled
travel time along the
deviation * number of daily
trips along the segment)
FIGURE 37: Recommended service design standards including those that were leveraged when developing the proposed transit network presented
in this plan.
Performance Standards
Figure 38 outlines recommended performance standards that should be applied to transit service in Bracebridge.
Performance standards are intended to provide feedback on how planned services perform in real-world conditions and
can be established as minimum standards for contracting purposes. They can also be leveraged in reporting to Town
Council.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
37
Criteria Standard Application Notes
Schedule Adherence A fixed-route vehicle is adhering
to schedule if it is no more than 1
minute early (ahead of schedule)
AND no more than 5 min late
(behind schedule) at a transit
stop.
Applies to fixed-route services
only.
Generally applied at specific key
stops known as “Time Points” to
account for variability in traffic
during the day and from day-to-
day.
This On-Time standard impacts
several following performance
standards
On-time Arrival A Bracebridge Mobility or On-
Demand vehicle is considered to
have arrived on time at a pickup
point if it is no more than 15 min
ahead of the scheduled pickup
time AND no more than 15 min
behind the scheduled pick-up
time
Applies to Bracebridge Mobility
and On-Demand services only.
Customers require sufficient
notice of when the vehicle is
going to arrive and should not be
expected to be ready precisely
when the vehicle arrives. Often
tied to a maximum waiting time
standard.
Adherence to Scheduled Run
Time
70% of all trips should complete
a round-trip within the scheduled
run time.
70% of all trips on a trip segment
(between time points) should be
completed within the scheduled
segment run time.
Applies to fixed-route services
only.
This is a key metric in defining
schedules and monitoring overall
schedule adherence
Scheduled run times are
generally defined by the 70th
percentile expected run time.
This ensures that most vehicles
arrive on-time while minimizing
instances of vehicles running
early and being held back,
slowing total travel time for
customers.
Maximum Waiting Time A Bracebridge Mobility or On-
Demand vehicle will wait no more
than 5 min after arrival at a
pickup point for the customer. A
customer that does not arrive
before this time will be
considered a “No-Show”
Applies to Bracebridge Mobility
and On-Demand services only.
Requires tracking of “No-Shows”
for both Bracebridge Mobility and
On-Demand customers.
Customers require sufficient
notice of when the vehicle is
going to arrive and should not be
expected to ready precisely the
vehicle arrives.
Unaccommodated Rate Bracebridge Mobility: Less than
1% of all trips requested at least
one day in advance
On-Demand: Less than 5% of all
trips requested
Applies to Bracebridge Mobility
and On-Demand services only.
When a trip is scheduled and an
operator is assigned the trip, it is
considered “Accommodated”
Bracebridge Mobility service,
being scheduled ahead of time
for priority customers, should aim
for 100% accommodation.
On-Demand service is of a lower
priority than Bracebridge Mobility
but should aim for low
unaccommodated rates to give
customers confidence in the
service.
Trips Completed Fixed-route: Target 100% of trips
any given day
Bracebridge Mobility: Target
100% of trips accommodated
On-Demand: Target 100% of
trips accommodated
Applies to all services. Any
deviations below the target trip
completion rate MUST be
explained by extenuating
circumstances
Monitor this closely for patterns
as any frequent recurrence of
missed trips may indicate larger
network or service design issues.
On-Time Transfers 95% of trips connecting at the
transfer point should arrive no
more than 3 min after the
scheduled arrival time.
Applies to fixed-route services
connecting at the transfer point.
Operating policies should
indicate that drivers are not to
depart the transfer point unless
instructed to do so by a
supervisor to minimise missed
transfers
FIGURE 38: Recommended performance standards that will support general service monitoring, the development of operating policies, contract
performance monitoring and future planning efforts.
Customer Service Standards
Customer service standards include general inquiries and support for customer requests ranging from fare purchase to
Left Turn Right Turn
38
Bracebridge Mobility and On-Demand trip bookings. Figure 39 outlines customer service standards, several of which
may form policies for services such as Bracebridge Mobility and On-Demand.
Criteria Standard Application Notes
Fare Payment All vehicles shall accept cash as
fare payment
Fare media (e.g., easyPASS and
waveCARD) shall be available for
purchase during business hours
at retail locations
Fare cards are presently only
available at the Municipal office
during business hours. Consider
opportunities to expand fare
media sales at locations that are
not town-operated such as
grocery stores.
This is somewhat dependent on
the fare system. Future systems
could offer an online or mobile
payment option to enable greater
self-serve options for customers
Customer Satisfaction Transit and Bracebridge Mobility
Services shall generate at least
85% overall satisfaction score in
annual customer service reviews.
Short surveys of riders should be
made available to Transit and
Bracebridge Mobility customers
on an annual basis for ongoing
monitoring
This survey will provide a regular
opportunity to engage with riders
on other issues, and solicit
feedback on upcoming changes
General Inquiries General inquiries will be
responded to within 2 business
days. To the extent possible,
telephone inquiries will be
responded to immediately, with
follow-up within 2 business days
This standard should apply and
be consistent regardless of who
is providing the service: Town
staff or the contractor
Ensure consistent
communication, and follow up
with all inquiries within 2 business
days to maintain customer
confidence
Booking Window Bracebridge Mobility trip
requests are accepted no further
than 14 days in advance and up
to 3 hours before the end of
service prior to the preferred day
of travel.
On-Demand trip requests are
accepted when requested. No
advance booking is permitted.
Applies to Bracebridge Mobility
and On-Demand services
This standard for Bracebridge
Mobility is largely defined by
AODA requirements
Consider shifting all same-day
Bracebridge Mobility requests to
the On-Demand platform.
Booking window standards
become the basis for booking
and cancellation policies.
Pickup Time Customers should expect
scheduled Bracebridge Mobility
trips to arrive up to 15 min before
OR 15 min after the scheduled
time.
On-Demand customers should
expect a vehicle to arrive any
time and up to 30 min after
requesting the trip
Applies to Bracebridge Mobility
and On-Demand services
Bracebridge Mobility pickup time
is tied to the “On-time Arrival”
standard
On-Demand pickup time is
dependent on vehicle availability
Bracebridge Mobility standard is
largely the same presently
implemented, but by adding a
fifteen-minute window after the
scheduled time it aligns with the
“On-time Arrival” standard and
makes it easier to fit in On-
Demand customers into the
schedule.
No Show Customers must be at the stop
within 5 min of the vehicle arrival
time.
Applies to Bracebridge Mobility
and On-Demand services
Bracebridge Mobility standard is
largely the same presently
implemented.
No-show standards become the
basis of policies and penalties.
FIGURE 39: Recommended customer service standards that will guide the development of operating policies.
Bracebridge Mobility Booking Policies
In addition to the previously defined standards, consider aligning booking policies with industry best practices and peers
in Southern Ontario. This is critically important to ensure there is a clear distinction between the standards and
expectations of service for Bracebridge Mobility and On-Demand. A summary of the recommended policies for
Bracebridge Mobility is included in Figure 40 below. Note that the adjustments are generally minor and will support
enhanced operations in accordance with the recommended service standards discussed previously.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
39
Booking window Cancellations Pick up times No show
14 days in advance and up to 3
hours before the end of service
on the day before preferred day
of travel.
Same day booking subject to
availability
24 hours in advance and no later
than 1 hour prior to scheduled
trip. Can be left on voicemail.
Same day cancellation up to 1
hour before will be subject to
$2.5 no show charge
15 min before pick-up at
designated accessible entrance.
Will wait for 5 min after arrival.
Client cancels within 1 hour of
trip or not at location within 5 min
of scheduled time.
Max of 3 no shows in 1 month will
result in a reminder letter. After
4th no show, may result in a 5-day
suspension of service
FIGURE 40: Summary of recommended Bracebridge Mobility Policies that align with the recommended service standards.
Monitoring and addressing these operating policies will require use of a more robust Demand Response Booking and
Dispatch Software discussed in Section 5.3. The technology is also capable of providing a call-out feature to support
the Bracebridge Mobility and On-Demand scheduler in preventing late cancellations and no-shows. This feature sends
trip confirmations and reminders to customers who have requested it or those who have multiple no-shows/late arrivals.
Project 3: Document service standards for Bracebridge Transit and Bracebridge Mobility
Recommendation: The Town should clearly document desired service standards to guide future service delivery.
These service standards can form the basis of operating and performance monitoring metrics discussed in Sections
4.6.2 and 4.6.3 while also supporting policy adjustments such as those described for Bracebridge Mobility.
5.2 VEHICLE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
The Town currently owns one ARBOC Spirit of Mobility low-floor transit bus. The bus is leased to Hammond for the
duration of the operating contract, and all maintenance is performed by Hammond as part of the maintenance
agreement. While the vehicle itself has experienced reliability issues, the arrangement has worked well for both the
Town and the current contractor. The operating and maintenance expertise at Hammond allowed the Town to focus on
purchasing a vehicle that would support their service and customers most effectively. By leveraging the ARBOC
product, which is built on a standard General Motors chassis and drive train, the Town avoided depending on more
exotic suppliers for parts and maintenance.
Issues related to the regeneration process of the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) created operational troubles that were
mitigated through changing maintenance and upkeep processes. The DPF goes through a regeneration, or regen,
process to clear itself out. This occurs automatically when the engine reaches a certain temperature. Since transit
vehicles make frequent stops, the engine rarely gets hot enough for long enough to complete a full regen process. If the
DPF is not cleared regularly, the vehicle will shut down and be disabled until a manual regeneration can take place. The
Town and the contractor have elected to run the vehicle for an extended period outside of service hours to complete
the regeneration process. This has resulted in an increase in service hours and fuel payments to facilitate this exercise.
The Town currently operates the Bracebridge Mobility service as a turnkey solution with Hammond providing the
required vehicles. Hammond has outfitted one Dodge Promaster to provide the Bracebridge Mobility service. The
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vehicle is an industry-standard design capable of supporting up to ten seated passengers, or six passengers and one
mobility device, depending on the configuration. The vehicle is equipped with a rear-loading lift to support customers
using mobility devices, but variations include manual ramps and lifts that deploy from either rear or the passenger side.
Going forward with the execution of the Five-Year Business Plan will eventually require the Town to expand the fleet of
vehicles in operation. At a minimum, the two-route network will require a second conventional transit vehicle. It is
advisable that the Town secures an option for a second Promaster or similar accessible vehicle to support growth in the
Bracebridge Mobility and On-Demand services. All new and existing vehicles will need to be equipped with fare
collection equipment and supporting technologies to facilitate operations as noted. Additionally, considerations need to
be made to ensure that appropriate replacement vehicles are available should one of the buses or vans be out of service
for maintenance.
While cost efficiency is a primary driver in identifying ownership models for transit assets, Figure 41 assesses the
potential impact on the identified evaluation criteria. Based on this evaluation, maintaining ownership of vehicle assets
within the Town is slightly preferable for achieving the business goals and objectives of this plan.
Name and
description of
initiative
A:Transit
Productivity
B: Access to Transit
Service for the
Broader
Community
C: Responding to
Demand
D: Access to Transit
Services for Priority
Resident
Communities
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding
Town Owned:
Transit Bus
Ownership
structure does not
have a meaningful
impact on this
i tem
3 Allows for
specifying bus
detai ls to meet
community needs
1 Limited capacity
to respond rapidly
to demands
should a new
vehicle or new
technology be
warranted
3 Allows for
specifying bus
detai ls to meet
community needs
3 Can define and
instal l on board
technology to
support data
col lection
Contractor-
Provided:
Transit Bus
2 Less f lexibi l i ty in
specifying bus
detai ls to meet
community needs
due to contract
l imitations
3 Greater
economies of
scale to leverage
when to respond
to demands.
L imitations to
contract terms
may restr ict or
changes or make
them cost-
prohibit ive
2 Less f lexibi l i ty in
specifying bus
detai ls to meet
community needs
due to contract
l imitations.
1 Any on board
technology not
included in
contract terms
l ikely inaccessible
for reporting. New
technologies must
be approved/
selected by the
contractor
Town Owned:
Bracebridge
Mobility Van
3 Allows for
specifying bus
detai ls to meet
community needs
1 Limited capacity
to respond rapidly
to demands
should a new
vehicle or new
technology be
warranted
3 Allows for
specifying bus
detai ls to meet
community needs
3 Can define and
instal l on board
technology to
support data
col lection
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
41
Name and
description of
initiative
A:Transit
Productivity
B: Access to Transit
Service for the
Broader
Community
C: Responding to
Demand
D: Access to Transit
Services for Priority
Resident
Communities
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding
Contractor
Provided:
Bracebridge
Mobility Van
2 Less f lexibi l i ty in
specifying bus
detai ls to meet
community needs
due to contract
l imitations
3 Greater
economies of
scale to leverage
when to respond
to demands.
L imitations to
contract terms
may restr ict or
changes or make
them cost-
prohibit ive
2 Less f lexibi l i ty in
specifying bus
detai ls to meet
community needs
due to contract
l imitations
1 Any on board
technology not
included in
contract terms
l ikely inaccessible
for reporting. New
technologies must
be approved/
selected by the
contractor
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong
Impact 4 4 – Exceptional Impact
FIGURE 41: Summary of evaluation criteria for the provision of Transit and Bracebridge Mobility/On-Demand vehicles in future service contracts.
As Bracebridge Mobility transitions to providing a combined On-Demand service for both paratransit and conventional
customers, the aspect of ownership and its influence on improving the experience for various customers and community
groups becomes more apparent. By combining conventional, On-Demand trips with booked, paratransit trips, there will
be greater scrutiny on the customer experience by both rider groups. As such, it is preferable that the Town transition
to ownership of Bracebridge Mobility vans to more closely tailor the on-vehicle experience to meet the needs of their
customers.
Generally, it is recommended that in future contract procurements for service, the Town solicit pricing for contractor-
provided vehicles as well as operating vehicles supplied by the Town, and an option to exercise either. Operators who
would prefer to use their own vehicles may show competitive pricing when accounting for the lifecycle costs of the
vehicle under Town ownership. It is important for the bid to remain competitive, however, by allowing proponents to
submit a proposal for either option, or both combined. The potential capital cost impacts for vehicle purchase,
maintenance and required on-board equipment in each instance are outlined in Figure 42.
Purchase Price Funding /
Financing Maintenance
Technology
Installation
Total Capital
Costs
Bracebridge Transit Bus
Capital Cost $150,000 - $200,000 $100,000 –
$150,000 (7-year)
Up to $30,000
Costs vary
depending on
technology
installation. Fare
collection system
and ASA are
required at a min.
$250,000 -
$380,000 (7-years)
Annualized Cost
$35,800 – $55,000 Considerations
for Town
Ownership
More preferential
pricing possible
through Joint
Procurement Initiatives
from Province/
Metrolinx
Grants for capital
purchases through
Provincial and
Federal funding
Town may choose to
rebuild vehicle
+ $150,000 (12-year
life extension
rebuild)
Town may choose to
sell vehicle
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42
Purchase Price Funding /
Financing Maintenance
Technology
Installation
Total Capital
Costs
Considerations
for Contractor
Provided
Purchase price will be
capitalized in contract.
May have economies of
scale if vehicle is
standard model already
in use
Capital funding
grants may not be
available to assist
Actual contractor
costs are unknown
Maintenance costs
will be capitalized in
the contract
Actual contractor
costs are unknown
Bracebridge Mobility Van
Capital Cost $80,000 – $150,000 $60,000 – $90,000
(6-years)
Up to $30,000
Costs vary
depending on
technology
installation. Fare
collection system
and ASA are
required at a min
$150,000 –
$270,000 (6-years)
Annualized Cost
$25,000 – $45,000 Considerations
for Town
Ownership
More preferential
pricing possible
through Joint
Procurement Initiatives
from Province/
Metrolinx
Grants for capital
purchases through
Provincial and
Federal funding
Town may choose to
sell vehicle
Considerations
for Contractor
Provided
Purchase price will be
capitalized in contract.
May have economies of
scale if vehicle is
standard model already
in use
Capital funding
grants may not be
available to assist
Actual contractor
costs are unknown
Maintenance costs
will be capitalized in
the contract
Actual contractor
costs are unknown
FIGURE 42: Summary of potential lifecycle capital cost considerations for the provision of Transit and Bracebridge Mobility/On-Demand vehicles in
future service contracts.
Operating contracts should be aligned with expected vehicle lifespans as much as possible to take advantage of
competitive pricing under either ownership arrangement. While it may be slightly preferable (from an operational and
service-related perspective) if the Town retains ownership of the vehicles for Bracebridge Transit and Bracebridge
Mobility services, the final pricing available in the contracts may persuade decision makers to prefer the trade-off to
other aspects of ownership over the total cost of ownership. The Town is advised to include a maintenance agreement
as part of the transit services contract, or as part of a broader maintenance agreement for other Town vehicle assets.
Project 4: Bracebridge Transit vehicle procurement and Project 5: Bracebridge Mobility vehicle procurement
Recommendation: If costs remain equal, then it is preferable for the Town to own the vehicles for both Bracebridge
Transit and Bracebridge Mobility. Cost variances can be compared based on quoted pricing in bids for service contracts
and factored into ownership decisions when contracts are negotiated. A detailed breakdown of the expected features
and functionality for each vehicle is presented in the attached cutsheet in Appendix C.
5.3 IMPROVED OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES
Transit technologies come in a variety of forms and levels of complexity. This section discusses three key operational
transit technologies that can be readily adapted to the scale of Bracebridge Transit and Bracebridge Mobility while
enabling transformative growth over the next five years.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
43
Several of these technologies would benefit from partnerships with other regional players such as Metrolinx, the District
Municipality of Muskoka, the County of Simcoe, and/or the Town of Huntsville for example to benefit from economies of
scale and to support integration of service, fares and seamless transit travel throughout the region.
Recommendation: Engage with external parties such as Metrolinx, the District Municipality of Muskoka and the Town
of Huntsville to develop a working group in support of integrated unified procurement of larger transit technologies. This
will enable access to a wider market, economies of scale and future integration of service, scheduling and fares.
Demand Response Booking and Dispatch Software
Implementing a comprehensive booking and scheduling system for Bracebridge Mobility service will open considerable
opportunities for service efficiency and service expansion. The technology will enable vast improvements in efficiencies
for existing Bracebridge Mobility services by providing greater automation in management of trip bookings, scheduling
and providing operators with improved information on their “manifests” (trip schedules). Additionally, most vendors of
demand responsive booking and dispatch software have developed innovative solutions to combine traditional
paratransit bookings with On-Demand transit akin to Transportation Network Providers (TNPs) like Uber and Lyft.
This integration of paratransit and On-Demand transit is known as co-mingling and has the potential to vastly improve
overall service efficiency of paratransit services while providing improved service coverage in lower demand areas. This
is particularly relevant to the Town, which struggles with a complicated, disconnected road grid and a large service area
of relatively low demand. By investing in a fully-featured, demand responsive booking and dispatch solution with On-
Demand capabilities, the Town can experiment with innovative service delivery models that can more appropriately
meet the demands of customers in lower demand areas and has the potential to grow to new services areas in the
future.
Figure 43 provides a summary of several vendors of traditional and new-age solutions for consideration, as well as an
assessment of the technology’s appropriateness for the Town based on the previously identified evaluation criteria:
Criteria Score Description
A: Transit Productivity
4 The technology will enable vast improvement in efficiencies for existing Bracebridge
Mobility services while also providing the capacity to introduce new On-Demand
service in new parts of town.
B: Access to Transit
Service for the Broader
Community 4
The solution will enable increased service area and coverage to most of the urban
area, including areas currently beyond a comfortable (400 metre) walk from transit
service today.
C: Responding to
Demand
4
The technology will enable vast improvement in efficiencies for existing Bracebridge
Mobility services while also providing the capacity to introduce new On-Demand
service in new parts of town. On-Demand service will enable flexible changes to
service delivery as demand grows or changes within Bracebridge, so long as it is
supported by a flexible service delivery contract from the transit operator.
D: Access to Transit
Service for Priority
Resident Communities 4
The technology will enable vast improvement in efficiencies for existing Bracebridge
Mobility services reducing the volume of trip denials in peak periods. Additionally, the
On-Demand service will provide existing Bracebridge Mobility users with a new,
equally accessible service to improve spontaneity and independence.
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Criteria Score Description
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding 4
By monitoring trip bookings, the Town gains valuable insight into potential new
demands for route adjustments, particularly as On-Demand bookings increase.
Additionally, the technology doubles as an account management system for
Bracebridge Mobility customers, allowing the Town to better support their queries
and challenges.
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong Impact 4 4 – Exceptional
Impact
Vendors Implementation Cost Ongoing Maintenance Annualized Lifecycle Cost
TransLoc
SpareLabs Spare Driver
UbiTransport 2TOD
Passio
TripSpark NOVUS
Up to $60,000
Software-as-a-Service
vendors often include
implementation within
annual license costs
$5,000 – $25,000 / year depending on
solution licensing model
$13,000 - $25,000 per year over 5 years
Considers a 2-vehicle implementation for
a combined Bracebridge Mobility/On-
Demand service.
FIGURE 43: Summary of the evaluation of implementing a new Demand Response Scheduling and Dispatch System.
Project 6: Demand Response Dispatch and Scheduling Technology
Recommendation: Implement a Demand Response Scheduling and Dispatch System that has the native capacity to
introduce On-Demand booking. Several vendors have the capacity to deliver other products such as CAD/AVL solutions
and Fare Collection Systems. However, it is recommended that the Town considers an open design that allows for
integration with other third-party systems, such as the existing TransitFare solution.
Modern Fare Collection System
The Town leverages the TransitFare platform for fare collection and revenue reconciliation on board Bracebridge Transit
and Bracebridge Mobility vehicles. The system has a relatively modern cloud-based back end system that depends on
proprietary hardware installed on board the vehicle. The system can support several forms of fare media including
electronic near-field communication (NFC) cards and barcode tickets. The Town presently accepts cash fares as well
as stored value and monthly period passes available on the easyPASS and waveCARD fare cards, respectively.
New fare collection systems offer similar diverse fare media functionality with the added benefit of mobile payment
through smartphone technology. Some of these systems enable passengers to purchase fare media directly on their
phone using a mobile application, which then displays a unique barcode or QR-code valid for the rider when activated.
The code is validated by an on-board validator. Variants include a dynamic “flash pass” that is displayed for visual
inspection by the driver. In all cases, vendors are committed to continuing to offer non-technical alternatives for users
and those who rely on cash fare.
Introducing a new fare collection system has the capacity to better cater to customer’s changing expectations while
providing the Town with improved understanding of who their customers are and what their travel patterns are like.
However, the existing TransitFare system is a capable solution that generally meets many of the current needs of the
Town. Figure 44 compares some of the potential options for upgrading or replacing the existing fare collection system
and provides a summary of the performance of this technology relative to the evaluation criteria previously identified.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
45
Criteria Score Description
A: Transit Productivity
2
Modern fare collection systems are frequently implemented to reduce the cost of
fare collection by minimizing cash utilization on board and reducing fraud. This may
help to minimize the total cost of service delivery in Bracebridge by encouraging
greater utilization of electronic fare media.
B: Access to Transit
Service for the Broader
Community 4
The solution can greatly improve access to fare media for residents who might
otherwise not know where to purchase an easyPASS or waveCARD, especially if
options are provided online and through mobile applications.
C: Responding to
Demand 3 The solution has the potential to meet the demands of a more discerning community
that is used to advanced methods of payment using mobile devices and smart
phone applications.
D: Access to Transit
Service for Priority
Resident Communities 3
The solution enables alternative fare media and can improve access to fare media
for residents in certain communities. Care must be taken to ensure that cash is
maintained, or reasonable alternatives are provided.
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding 4
The solution can provide a wealth of data on customers and their travel habits. Most
solutions include robust reporting tools to support analysis
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong
Impact 4 4 – Exceptional Impact
Vendors Implementation Cost Ongoing Maintenance Annualized Lifecycle Cost
TransitFare
Massabi Justride
UbiTransport 2Place
TripSpark EZFare
Up to $200,000
Software-as-a-Service
vendors often include
implementation within
annual license costs
$15,000 – $25,000 / year depending on
solution licensing model
SaaS vendors often charge as a
percentage of total fares paid
$15,000 - $63,000 per year over 5
years
Note that costs for some SaaS vendors
will change based on ridership
FIGURE 44: Summary of the evaluation of implementing a new Fare Collection System.
Project 7: Enhanced Fare Collection using TransitFare
Recommendation: Review options for enhancing TransitFare to include new fare products such as mobile payment
and support online account and card management for purchasing fare products outside of business hours or when
access to retail channels is not possible. In the long-term, consider replacing the TransitFare system with a new Fare
Collection System that is integrated with other transit technologies such as a CAD/AVL solution or an On-Demand
transit booking application.
Fixed-Route Computer-Aided Dispatch/Automatic Vehicle Location System
A Computer-Aided Dispatch/Automatic Vehicle Location System is often a central component for transit technology
systems. CAD/AVL systems enable accurate, real-time monitoring of operations, live two-way text-based
communication between operators and dispatch, and integration of on-board systems including fare collection,
Automatic Stop Annunciation (ASA), and vehicle monitoring systems. The systems enable a robust collection of data
and support real-time next bus predictions for customers.
The existing TransitFare system has a built in Automatic Vehicle Location system that relies on onboard GPS and an
uploaded schedule to monitor schedule adherence. However, there are concerns with respect to the accuracy of the
information. Through investigations of historical on-time accuracy of the TransitFare system, vehicles were observed in
approximate adherence to the posted schedule but reported as upwards of 10-20 min late at times during the route.
This could be attributed to technical issues within the system or errors in usage of on-board systems by operators.
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There is no capacity within the TransitFare system at present to communicate with drivers in real-time. The current
contractor communicates with operators by mobile radio that they provide, but Town staff do not have direct
communication channels with operators.
Traditionally, CAD/AVL systems are costly and complicated technology systems that depend on proprietary
technologies from very specialized vendors. Recently, however, there are several newer entries into the market that
have developed solutions that are less hardware intensive with several operating as Software-as-a-Service models with
annual costs and non-proprietary hardware such as browser-based backend systems and Android or iOS compatible
mobile solutions. Figure 45 provides a summary of several vendors of traditional and new-age solutions for
consideration, as well as an assessment of the technology’s appropriateness for the Town based on the previously
identified evaluation criteria.
Criteria Score Description
A: Transit Productivity
3
This technology is designed to improve operational performance monitoring, allowing
for on-the-fly response to real-world conditions, minimizing delays and improving
service productivity. The solution provides live feedback to operators to ensure that
they are operating as close to schedule as possible.
B: Access to Transit
Service for the Broader
Community 2
The solution enables improved real-time information through integration with third-
party applications such as Google Transit. This may improve the residents’
understanding of transit services in Bracebridge.
C: Responding to
Demand 3
The technology is designed to allow for on-the-fly response to real-world conditions
such as service delays and breakdowns. Solutions can provide this information down
stream to inform potential riders of the impacts of delays, allowing customers to
adapt.
D: Access to Transit
Service for Priority
Resident Communities 2
The solution enables improved real-time information through integration with third-
party applications such as Google Transit. This may improve the residents’
understanding of transit services in Bracebridge.
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding 4
The solution is designed to improve operational performance monitoring and can
provide a wealth of data on schedule performance, and other information such as
actual ridership, vehicle maintenance metrics, and others depending on the level of
integration. Most solutions include robust reporting tools to support analysis
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong Impact 4 4 – Exceptional
Impact
Vendors Implementation Cost Ongoing Maintenance Annualized Lifecycle Cost
TransLoc
Passio
UbiTransport
TripSpark
Consat
Up to $200,000
Software-as-a-Service
vendors often include
implementation within
annual license costs
$3,000 – $15,000 / year
depending on solution licensing
model
$34,000 - $63,000 per year over 5 years
Considers a 4-vehicle implementation
(2 Bracebridge Transit & 2 Bracebridge
Mobility/On-Demand Vehicles)
FIGURE 45: Summary of the evaluation of implementing a new CAD/AVL system.
In 2016 Metrolinx procured a CAD/AVL System from Consat on behalf of eleven transit agencies in Ontario under one
of several Transit Procurement Initiatives. The current contract with Consat expires in 2021 and may be renewed or
replaced with a new vendor. This technology is currently in use at the City of Temiskaming Shores, City of Kawartha
Lakes, City of Orillia, County of Simcoe, Town of Milton, City of Sarnia, City of Kingston and others. If the Town elects
to proceed with a CAD/AVL technology that is more traditional in nature, this may be an appropriate method of
procurement. Cost was approximately $ 6,200/vehicle in a bulk procurement, for a total of $4.5 million for 11 transit
agencies in upfront costs. Alternatively, the Town could consider a similar partnership with the District Municipality of
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
47
Muskoka and the Towns of Gravenhurst and Huntsville. An integrated system could include a broader range of vendors
that traditionally target larger procurements.
Project 7: Enhanced Fare Collection using TransitFare
Recommendation: Review options for correcting and enhancing performance reporting from the TransitFare solution.
If it is determined to be a viable and cost-effective approach, it will allow the Town to maximize the utility of the existing
TransitFare technology. Otherwise, it may be worthwhile to explore alternatives that utilize CAD/AVL solutions.
Project 13: Computer-Aided Dispatch and Automatic Vehicle Location System
Recommendation: Long-term operations management and reporting needs may require implementing a CAD/AVL
solution. Such a solution may become necessary shortly after the conclusion of this five-year plan. It is recommended
that the Town closely consider this technology in the near future, with plans to implement the technology within the next
five-to-ten years.
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6 CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
The following recommendations include incentives to promote transit use in Bracebridge and to improve the overall
customer experience. Details are provided for the various actions to ensure that the proposed changes to conventional
and specialized transit services are effectively communicated to existing and future riders.
6.1 TRANSIT EVENT PARTNERSHIPS
The Town should consider offering free transit to all riders on selective special events as a way of promoting transit use
in Bracebridge, providing safe and dependable ways of getting around, and fostering goodwill between Bracebridge
Transit and riders. The events that warrant free transit mostly appeal to youths and young families and are taking place
in transit-accessible areas, these include Fire & Ice Festival, Canada Day celebrations, Midnight Madness, the
Bracebridge Fall Fair and Horse Show, and Remembrance Day.
Familiarizing the younger population with transit is a proven method of ensuring ridership growth in the future. Consider
introducing special service for New Year’s Eve, where regular service would extend to 1:00 am and service between
9:00 pm and 1:00 am would be free. For Canada Day, regular service would run from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm, and for
Remembrance Day, free service would run during regular hours. This applies to both conventional and specialized
transit. For ticketed events, the rider would show the driver their ticket to the event on the day of and board the bus for
free. The Town should be in communication with event organizers so that they can plan accordingly and advertise the
availability of free transit as part of their event promotion process.
Conventional buses will not deviate from their routes on the day of the events for the sake of simplicity in service planning
and minimizing additional costs of operation. Free transit for the aforementioned events can be introduced on a trial
basis and continued if proven to be successful in drawing ridership. Note that the location of some of these events
require a relatively significant walk from the nearest bus stop. Figure 46 below lists some of the popular annual events
that take place in Bracebridge, the ones that may warrant complimentary transit are bolded.
Name of event When Where
New Year’s Eve service extension to 1AM Jan Downtown Bracebridge
Fire & Ice Festival Jan Downtown Bracebridge
Venture Fest June 1964 Muskoka Beach Road Bracebridge
Canada Day service during celebrations (11am to 9pm in 2019) July Downtown Bracebridge
Muskoka Arts & Crafts Show July Annie Williams Memorial Park, Bracebridge
Muskoka Pride Parade July Memorial park, Bracebridge
Midnight Madness August Memorial Park, Bracebridge
What’s Cooking Bracebridge Sept Miscellaneous locations
Remembrance Day Nov Memorial Park, Bracebridge
FIGURE 46: Sample of events, with recommended partnerships to consider providing complimentary transit service highlighted in bold.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
49
Project 8: Transit event partnerships for complimentary transit service
Recommendation: Work with event hosts and the Town to offer free transit access using event tickets, wristbands,
event maps, etc. as proof of participation. Consider offering regular transit service on Canada Day and Remembrance
Day for free for all residents. Conventional buses will not deviate from the regular routes and free transit can be
introduced on a trial basis. The following table illustrates the impact of this on the evaluation criteria previously identified.
Criteria Score Description
A: Transit Productivity
3
Providing complimentary transit access to family events will reach a customer
demographic (young families) that is presently underrepresented on the transit
system. Engaging new demographics will help to familiarize residents with transit
services and drive new, sustained ridership in the long-term.
B: Access to Transit
Service for the Broader
Community 2
Complimentary transit service will foster community goodwill and emphasize
Bracebridge Transit as a community partner. Impact on transit access is low but will
help to familiarize residents with the service.
C: Responding to
Demand 2 While service on these events will likely be opportunities to capitalize on high transit
demand at those times, they do not represent any change in the ability to respond
to demand on a day-to-day basis
D: Access to Transit
Service for Priority
Resident Communities 1
While the service is available to all residents, it does not explicitly benefit individuals
from priority resident community groups any more than residents in the broader
community.
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding 0
The solution may not improve operational understanding without direct integration
with the fare collection system, or operating policies to track ridership.
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong
Impact 4 4 – Exceptional Impact
Implementation Cost Ongoing Expense Revenue Potential
Low to no cost to implement No significant operating expenses for service
during regular hours.
Service for Canada Day and New Year’s Eve
may have an operating cost premium of 15-
25% above hourly costs
No direct revenue potential unless fare
revenues are offset through agreements with
event holders.
Long-term revenue growth through increased
ridership
FIGURE 47: Summary of the evaluation of providing free fares to and from select events in Bracebridge.
6.2 COMMUNICATING AND MARKETING SERVICE CHANGES TO THE PUBLIC
The successful implementation of routing changes and introduction of the On-Demand service will heavily depend upon
informing and educating the public about these changes. Updates will need to be made to the Bracebridge Transit
webpage to include information such as service hours, updated service schedule and route maps, the trip-booking, fare
payment and cancellation process for the On-Demand service, and a map with the locations of all the virtual On-Demand
stops.
In promoting the service to riders with limited access to and/or understanding of the Bracebridge website, paper
pamphlets containing all the information available on the Bracebridge website should be placed at stops with high
ridership (e.g., Walmart, Food Basics, Independent Grocer). An operator training session should be held to ensure that
transit operators are well informed of service changes and are able to answer questions from transit riders. Additionally,
Town staff can visit places such as the Castle Peak Retirement Residence, and stops with high ridership (e.g., Walmart,
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Bracebridge Sportsplex, Food Basics, Downtown core) to give short presentations introducing service changes and
answer questions from the public.
As part of a comprehensive marketing campaign, the Town could partner with local high schools and task interested
students with designing promotional signage as well as creating and/or editing a short video outlining changes to the
existing fixed-route and Bracebridge Mobility services, the process for using the new On-Demand service, and
measures taken by Bracebridge Transit to ensure the safety of riders during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The
video can be played on Bracebridge Transit’s webpage and can be shown during presentations.
Project 9: Communication and marketing campaign to encourage community to return to and try transit
Recommendation: Prepare a long-term marketing strategy that helps to educate residents about the existing service,
and the work being done over the course of the five years to improve transit in Bracebridge. Details of this
recommendation are provided in Figure 48.
Criteria Score Description
A: Transit Productivity 4
A carefully prepared marketing strategy will help to educate the public on transit
services, promote new changes, and encourage individuals to take transit.
B: Access to Transit
Service for the Broader
Community 1
The marketing campaign is a limited first step in improving resident’s understanding
and awareness of transit services but does not directly improve access to the service.
C: Responding to
Demand 0 This activity does not significantly impact this criterion.
D: Access to Transit
Service for Priority
Resident Communities 1
The marketing campaign is a limited first step in improving resident’s understanding
and awareness of transit services but does not directly improve access to the service.
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding 0
This activity does not significantly impact this criterion.
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong Impact 4 4 – Exceptional
Impact
Implementation Cost Ongoing Expense Revenue Potential
No significant implementation cost unless
specific advertisements are commissioned
from external sources.
Less than $10,000 over five years to
implement a basic marketing campaign.
Could be funded from existing operating
budget
No direct revenue potential.
Long-term revenue growth through increased
ridership
FIGURE 48: Summary of the evaluation of implementing consistent and targeted marketing campaign for transit services in Bracebridge.
6.3 NEW FARE PROGRAMS AND INCENTIVES
Employer bulk fare incentive
Partnering with local businesses is a great way to encourage transit use and guarantee a source of ridership. Partnership
can be introduced with selective local businesses (e.g., Walmart and Food Basics) on a pilot basis and would include
providing employees of these businesses a discounted monthly pass. Employees who earn minimum wage are often
dependent on transit and would benefit from having a discounted fare. Other transit agencies that have partnered with
local businesses typically offer employees a 10-15% discount to a monthly pass, provided that a minimum of 10
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
51
employees sign up for the program. The purchasing of the monthly passes is either done through a payroll deduction
(e.g., typically an adult month pass is $50, after a 15% discount, $42.50 is deducted each month from employee’s
payroll) or through a discounted bulk purchase made by the employer who then distributes them to their employees
(the employee would buy the monthly pass from the employer for a discounted price). Typically, the partnerships last
for a minimum of 1 year. However, for the purposes of the pilot project in Bracebridge, the partnership program can be
on trial for 4 months and be continued if proven successful.
Project 10.1: Employer bulk fare incentive for monthly passes
Recommendation: Introduce a trial project granting bulk discounted waveCARDs to large employers in town who
purchase 10 or more monthly passes on behalf of their employees per month for a minimum of 4 months. This will
require an education campaign and pitch to local employers and their staff that may be best tied to service improvements
discussed in Section 4. Details of this recommendation are provided in Figure 49.
Criteria Score Description
A: Transit Productivity
4
Engaging with a demographic of regular workers in Bracebridge will significantly
increase regular ridership demand, improving overall productivity. Securing a
consistent source of revenue will help to support service growth required to meet the
demand.
B: Access to Transit
Service for the Broader
Community 3
Educating employers and their staff on how transit can be used to support them
getting to and from work, and providing them with a discounted transit pass, will
significantly help to lower barriers to accessing the service for staff.
C: Responding to
Demand 2
Securing a consistent source of revenue in advance might help the Town respond to
anticipated demands or changes. It will provide an avenue of communication with
large employers and their staff to collect feedback on service to respond more
quickly to concerns.
D: Access to Transit
Service for Priority
Resident Communities 2
Lowering the cost of a transit pass for employees of large companies in Bracebridge
only supports priority resident communities if they are employed by these parties.
Consider approaching large companies that employ minimum-wage staff
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding 1
A dedicated fare class will help to understand how this specific demographic is using
the service, but does not impact insights into the service in general
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong Impact 4 4 – Exceptional Impact
Implementation Cost Ongoing Expense Revenue Potential
Low cost to implement new fare product.
May have to purchase additional
waveCARDs for distribution to employers.
No significant ongoing operating expenses Consistent and reliable source of revenue from
employers will help to fund service and
encourage increased ridership.
FIGURE 49: Summary of the evaluation of providing large employers with bulk fare discounts.
College Student Discount
Currently, Bracebridge Transit offers a similar fare structure to that of its peers in Ontario, with discounted fares for
seniors at the age of 65 and up and students from age 6 to 18. Town staff should consider offering discounted regular
fares and/or monthly passes to the students at Georgian College - Muskoka Campus as an incentive to promote
ridership among college students. A staff report released in 2017 suggested a partnership with Georgian College to
determine the potential of developing a Student Transit Card. However, this endeavor was not further explored. Town
staff should continue the conversation with Georgian College and explore the feasibility of introducing student discounts.
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Discounts can be granted to college students (e.g., $2 as opposed to $2.50) upon boarding with the display of a student
card. Similarly, students can receive a discount when purchasing and reloading their easyPASS once they have shown
their student card. The introduction of discounts can be done on a trial basis and continued if proven to increase
ridership and/or have received positive feedback from college students.
Project 10.2: Georgian College student fare discount
Recommendation: Work with administrative staff at Georgian College to introduce a pilot project granting a discounted
easyPASS or waveCARD to all students at Georgian College Muskoka Campus. Enable a new fare classification for
“college students” in TransitFare to support performance monitoring and adjust the program as data and feedback is
collected. Details of this recommendation are provided in Figure 50.
Criteria Score Description
A: Transit Productivity 2
A carefully prepared marketing strategy will help to educate the public on transit
services, promote new changes, and encourage individuals to take transit.
B: Access to Transit
Service for the Broader
Community 1
The marketing campaign is a limited first step in improving resident’s understanding
and awareness of transit services but does not directly improve access to the
service.
C: Responding to
Demand 0 This activity does not significantly impact this criterion.
D: Access to Transit
Service for Priority
Resident Communities 1
The marketing campaign is a limited first step in improving resident’s understanding
and awareness of transit services but does not directly improve access to the
service.
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding 1
A dedicated fare class will help to understand how this specific demographic is
using the service, but does not impact insights into the service in general
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong
Impact 4 4 – Exceptional Impact
Implementation Cost Ongoing Expense Revenue Potential
Low cost to implement new fare product. May
have to purchase additional easyPASSes or
waveCARDs for distribution to students at
Georgian College.
No significant ongoing expenses Current ridership at Georgian College is
relatively low. This initiative is more likely to
increase ridership and total revenues, then
decrease revenues collected from existing
riders.
FIGURE 50: Summary of the evaluation of introducing a College Student fare discount on a dedicated easyPASS or waveCARD.
6.4 BRACEBRIDGE MOBILITY RIDER HANDBOOK UPDATE
Establishing clear and comprehensive rules regarding the usage of the Bracebridge Mobility service will give customers
a better understanding of what they can expect from Bracebridge Mobility as well as what is expected of them as a
rider, consequently leading to more willingness to try the service. Having clearly defined rules in the handbook coupled
with education campaigns targeting demographic groups that are likely to benefit from Bracebridge Mobility service will
help to promote the service overall and encourage correct service usage. Education campaigns for Bracebridge Mobility
can be incorporated as part of the larger long-term communication and marketing strategy and can include activities
such as doing presentations explaining the rules and usage of the service at retirement homes, mailing an updated rider
handbook to registered users, and keeping rider handbooks available on mobility vehicles.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
53
Another benefit of having well-defined rules is that it will help the Town avoid certain liabilities in cases of accidents or
complaints. One key area that currently leaves ambiguity for readers is the differences between what services are
required for drivers to provide and what services can be accommodated upon request. This ambiguity is especially
apparent when it comes to assisting passengers with their baggage/parcels. Currently, the handbook listed that drivers
are not required to help with parcels but in practice, the drivers do help carry parcels for the elderly and those who are
unable to use their mobility device and carry parcels at the same time. Therefore, helping or not helping passengers
with parcels is completely up to the drivers’ discretion. The handbook should include language around the discretion
allocated to drivers when it comes to aiding passengers with their parcels (e.g., drivers are not required to help
passengers with parcels but can help those who are unable to carry parcels on their own upon drivers’ discretion).
Additionally, there should be guidelines as to where drivers are expected to drop off the parcels (e.g., drivers are not
permitted to enter a client’s place of residence any further than the entrance way).
Another area that can afford some specification is in assisting passengers with boarding and exiting the vehicles.
Currently, the handbook states that drivers will escort passengers to and from the vehicle by taking them to the closest
accessible door. Language should be crafted to say that for safety reasons, drivers will not lift or carry passengers or
mobility devices. Lastly, the handbook should include language which specifies that drivers will not make unscheduled
stops and that all Bracebridge Mobility trips will only go to the destinations that passengers have identified when they
were initially booking the trip.
Project 11: Bracebridge Mobility Rider Handbook Update
Recommendation: Update the rider handbook for Bracebridge Mobility to improve clarity of various policies. Consider
introducing this update in lockstep with new booking systems (Section 5.3) or an online booking website (Section 6.5)
to help promote the changes to existing and potential customers. Additionally, consider a user education campaign to
help introduce current and new users to the changes. Figure 51 provides details of this recommendation.
Criteria Score Description
A: Transit Productivity 1
Improvements to the Bracebridge Mobility Handbook will help customers feel more
comfortable using the service, increasing ridership and productivity of the service.
B: Access to Transit
Service for the Broader
Community 0
This activity does not significantly impact this criterion.
C: Responding to
Demand 0 This activity does not significantly impact this criterion.
D: Access to Transit
Service for Priority
Resident Communities 3
Improving the Bracebridge Mobility Handbook has the potential to significantly
reduce confusion on operating policies and provide users in certain priority
communities with greater understanding and comfort using the system.
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding 0
This activity does not significantly impact this criterion.
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong
Impact 4 4 – Exceptional Impact
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Implementation Cost Ongoing Expense Revenue Potential
Low cost to implement the new handbook. If
an education campaign is combined with the
program, resources (less than $3,000) may
be required to support the program.
No significant ongoing expenses No direct revenue potential. Ridership growth
may improve overall productivity of the
Bracebridge Mobility service and generate
additional revenue indirectly.
FIGURE 51: Summary of the evaluation of updating the Bracebridge Mobility Rider Handbook and introducing an education campaign.
6.5 IMPROVE CUSTOMER TOUCHPOINTS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
Several technological changes can be made to improve customer convenience. The first being the introduction of a
web portal for booking Bracebridge Mobility trips online. This function will allow Bracebridge Mobility users more flexibility
in trip planning while improving operational efficiency. Second being the creation of a Where’s the Bus mobile trip-
planning app, where users could see where fixed-route buses are in real time, book their On-Demand trips, and pay the
fare with their phone once they have boarded the bus. The integration of the fare payment feature on the mobile app
can be introduced later. By being able to pay for their trips via the mobile app, riders would no longer need to carry cash
or purchase an easyPASS or waveCARD to pay for their trip, increasing the incentive to use transit.
Recommendation: There are 4 distinct technological changes to gradually introduce. First being the implementation
of a booking website/portal for Bracebridge Mobility. Second being the creation of an On-Demand trip booking mobile
application. Third being the integration of a mobile fare payment component to the application. The last being the
introduction of a fully-integrated transit travel app, where both Bracebridge Mobility and On-Demand trips can be
requested, trips on conventional services can be planned, and fare products are purchased and stored.
Project 12.1: Bracebridge Mobility Booking Website
By implementing a booking website, Bracebridge Mobility customers and their caregivers can manage accounts, make
trip booking requests, and modify upcoming trips without operator intervention. This additional level of freedom and
awareness will complement a reduced strain on the booking agents or call-takers. Integration with a demand-response
scheduling system will help to automate the scheduling process. Figure 52 outlines the evaluation of this technology.
Criteria Score Description
A: Transit Productivity 1
Seeing that the website is only for booking Bracebridge Mobility trips, it will not
drastically increase transit productivity.
B: Access to Transit
Service for the Broader
Community 1
Will not significantly improve access to transit for the broader community because
this only applies to Bracebridge Mobility users.
C: Responding to
Demand 3 Scheduling staff revealed that they are overwhelmed with booking Bracebridge
Mobility trips, the booking website will significantly reduce the burden on staff.
D: Access to Transit
Service for Priority
Resident Communities 3
The booking website will make trip booking much easier to access for users of
Bracebridge Mobility, which are usually persons with disabilities.
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding 3
A booking website along with a streamlined booking process will make more data
available for staff, leading to greater operational understanding
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong
Impact 4 4 – Exceptional Impact
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
55
Implementation Cost Ongoing Expense Revenue Potential
$5k – 10K to implement. No significant ongoing expenses beyond
ongoing support costs for Scheduling
Software (Section 5.3).
Will likely lead to an increase in the number of
Bracebridge Mobility users, leading to an
increase in revenue
FIGURE 52: Summary of the evaluation of improving customer touchpoints using a Bracebridge Mobility Booking Website.
Project 12.2: On-Demand Request Mobile Application
Implementing an On-Demand request mobile application is integral to the overall success of Bracebridge On-Demand
services. This application, coupled with a booking website and live call-takers, will provide customers with transit access
in parts of the community with low demand for transit or limited access by fixed-route conventional services. Figure 53
outlines the evaluation for this technology.
Criteria Score Description
A: Transit Productivity 3
The convenience of being able to quickly book a trip on a mobile will attract many
riders, especially in the younger demographics.
B: Access to Transit
Service for the Broader
Community 4
The app will allow anyone with a smartphone within the service area to book an On-
Demand trip, which greatly enhances the access of On-Demand service.
C: Responding to
Demand 4 The app will reduce the burden of trip-booking on staff and ensure that the
maximum number of trips are accommodated.
D: Access to Transit
Service for Priority
Resident Communities 4
The app will be available for all those with a smartphone, making On-Demand
service more accessible in-real-time.
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding 4
The app will support enhanced data collation during booking that will inform
operational understanding. Request locations will inform decisions about future
operating changes, such as new fixed-routes and service enhancements.
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong
Impact 4 4 – Exceptional Impact
Implementation Cost Ongoing Expense Revenue Potential
$5k – 15k to implement
May come bundled with Demand Response
Scheduling Software (Section 5.3)5.1
Likely minimal ongoing expenses. < 2k/year
Some system providers charge based on
number of trips booked through the solution.
Will drive significant increase in the number of
transit users, leading to an increase in
revenue through new ridership
FIGURE 53: Summary of the evaluation of improving customer touchpoints using an On-Demand Request Mobile Application.
Project 12.2: Mobile Fare Payment Application
Providing customers with another way to pay their transit fare adds to the convenience of taking transit, particularly for
those in the community who are well connected by technology. Mobile fare payment applications can be integrated with
On-Demand request apps and trip planning apps to further expand functionality. Customers would be able to purchase
and reload their waveCARD or easyPASS accounts and use their mobile device to validate their fares in place of the
physical card. This application is dependent on Project 7. Figure 54 outlines the evaluation for this technology.
Criteria Score Description
A: Transit Productivity
3 The convenience of being able to pay with a smartphone will be an appealing
alternative for those that often do not carry cash or want to invest in an easyPASS
or waveCARD, leading to an increase in willingness to use transit.
B: Access to Transit
Service for the Broader
Community 3
Not relying on cash or a physical bus pass will improve the transit access for those
that do not often carry cash.
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Criteria Score Description
C: Responding to
Demand 3 The app will meet the need of younger riders that are accustomed to paying digitally
D: Access to Transit
Service for Priority
Resident Communities 2
The app will make a new fare payment option available for those in priority
communities.
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding 4
The app will capture data regarding payment type (e.g., student, senior, etc.) and
inform operational understanding
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong
Impact 4 4 – Exceptional Impact
Implementation Cost Ongoing Expense Revenue Potential
$5k – 15k to implement
Likely minimal ongoing expenses. < 2k/year
Some system providers charge based on
number fares paid through the solution.
Will likely lead to an increase in the number of
transit users, leading to an increase in
revenue
FIGURE 54: Summary of the evaluation of improving customer touchpoints using Mobile Fare Payment Application.
Project 14: Integrated Traveler Application
Integrating mobility booking, On-Demand requests, fare payment and travel planning into a single hub for customers is
a trend that helps to build toward Mobility-as-a-Service, particularly if it is integrated with other active transportation
modes. This application builds on the previous projects discussed in this section, and is closely dependent on Project
13, discussed in Section 5.3. Figure 55 outlines the evaluation for this technology.
Criteria Score Description
A: Transit Productivity
4 The convenience provided by the functions of the integrated application (trip
booking, real-time bus tracking, fare payment) will be a great incentive for riders to
use transit.
B: Access to Transit
Service for the Broader
Community 4
The application provides all the information they need regarding transit service and
payment, improving access and understanding.
C: Responding to
Demand 4 The app will allow Bracebridge to communicate with many users through a single
channel. Updates can be made easily, incorporating new features in future releases.
D: Access to Transit
Service for Priority
Resident Communities 3
The app will be available for all those with a smartphone, making trip-booking more
accessible in-real-time and fare payment more flexible.
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding 4
The application will support enhanced data collation during booking and fare
payment that will inform operational understanding. Request locations will inform
decisions about future operating changes, such as new fixed-routes and service
enhancements. Trip plan data will identify desirable destinations for conventional
service
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong
Impact 4 4 – Exceptional Impact
Implementation Cost Ongoing Expense Revenue Potential
Up to $20k to implement. Cost may be
reduced if same vendor used for other
applications.
No significant ongoing expenses beyond
ongoing support costs for Scheduling
Software (Section 5.3).
Will likely lead to an increase in the number of
transit users, leading to an increase in
revenue
FIGURE 55: Summary of the evaluation of improving customer touchpoints using an Integrated Transit Traveller Application.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
57
6.6 BUS SHELTER ADVERTISEMENTS
An additional source of revenue that the Town could explore is the incorporation of advertisement at bus shelters.
Typically, a municipality would be working with an advertising agency, whereby businesses interested in advertising at
a bus shelter would directly contact the agency and pay the agency a certain fee for designing and installing their posters
at shelters. The revenue from advertisement would be split between the agency and the municipality. In Ontario, some
of the major outdoor advertisement agencies include Pattinson (partnered with the TTC), Sambrook (partnered with
Brampton Transit), and Outfront (partnered with MiWay). The average cost for a business to set up an advertisement
panel at a bus shelter is around $500 for a 4-week period. However, with many advertisement agencies, the monthly
price could be lower if the business chooses to advertise for a longer period. In most cases, the $500 includes the
printing, installation, and management of the panel and an additional fee applies if the business needs the agency to
design the panel. Without a partnered agency, the installation and management of the panel will have to be done by the
town, in which case the administrative costs may negate some of the revenue potential.
Alternatively, if generating revenue is not the Town’s primary objective, bus shelters can also be used by the Town to
advertise community initiatives or in partnership with local organizations to promote various events in Town.
Project 15: Bus Shelter Advertising
Recommendation: Revenue generation opportunities for bus shelter advertising are likely limited and may not cover
the otherwise modest maintenance cost for providing the service. However, there may be a benefit to install bus shelter
advertising as a Town initiative to support local businesses and encourage community engagement. Details of this
recommendation are provided in Figure 56.
Criteria Score Description
A: Transit Productivity 1
This activity could slightly contribute to improving transit productivity if
advertisement is used by Bracebridge Transit itself to promote its service.
B: Access to Transit
Service for the Broader
Community 0 This activity does not significantly impact this criterion.
C: Responding to
Demand 0 This activity does not significantly impact this criterion.
D: Access to Transit
Service for Priority
Resident Communities 0 This activity does not significantly impact this criterion.
E: Improving
Operational
Understanding 0 This activity does not significantly impact this criterion.
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong
Impact 4 4 – Exceptional Impact
Implementation Cost Ongoing Expense Revenue Potential
$2k – $8k to implement signage at existing
shelters.
Ongoing maintenance costs to handle
advertisement replacement, vandalism, etc.
$1k - $5k per shelter advertisement annually.
Revenue dependent on interest in advertising
with contracts ranging for $100 – $500 per
month.
FIGURE 56: Summary of the evaluation of installing bus shelter advertisement.
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7 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
This section presents a summary of the recommendations as clearly defined projects that can be implemented over the
course of the next five years. A quarterly roadmap for project implementation is also presented in this section.
7.1 PROJECT SUMMARY
Figure 58 summarizes the recommendations discussed from the prior sections, presenting a high-level view of
evaluation for each of these initiatives as well as their estimated capital cost impact. For reference, the evaluation criteria
are listed below.
Criteria Description
A: Transit Productivity Ability to contribute to growth in total ridership or riders per service-hour,
and improvements to transit mode-split
B: Access to Transit Service for the Broader Community Improving total service coverage, reducing average walking distance to
a stop and/or average waiting times
C: Responding to Demand Improving access to transit services that meets the needs of customers,
either through On-Demand access or improved service coverage
D: Access to Transit Service for Priority Resident
Communities
Improving available service in areas with a large proportion of priority
residents, or for specific types of service that support specific
communities of need.
E: Improving Operational Understanding Improves access to reliable reporting including real-time operational
metrics to better understand service and performance
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong Impact 4 4 – Exceptional
Impact
FIGURE 57: Summary of the evaluation criteria identified and prioritized in collaboration with Town staff as well as the evaluation scale and legend.
Project Evaluation Criteria Lifecycle Capital Cost Impact
A B C D E
1 Introduce the New Bracebridge Transit
Network See following evaluation for individual
components of this project
Costs include for stop installation and
improvements
1.1 Introduce On-Demand Transit 3 4 4 4 4
$10k – $15k for stop installation and
improvements
1.2 New Route Introduction and
Realignment 4 4 3 3 4 $45k – $60k for stop installation and
improvements
1.3 Salmon Avenue Route Realignment
4 4 3 3 4 $18k – $20k for stop installation,
excluding concrete pours (should be
included in road extension project)
1.4 Bracebridge Mobility Expansion 2 4 4 4 2
No significant capital cost impact
1.5 Evening Service Expansion 2 4 4 3 2
No significant capital cost impact
1.6 Sunday Service Introduction 2 4 3 3 2
No significant capital cost impact
2 Prepare new contracts for Bracebridge
Transit and Bracebridge Mobility
services
Necessary to support Project 1
No significant capital cost impact.
Necessary to support several other
enhancements
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
59
Project Evaluation Criteria Lifecycle Capital Cost Impact
A B C D E
3 Document service standards for
Bracebridge Transit and Bracebridge
Mobility
Necessary to support Projects 1, 2 and others No significant capital cost impact.
Necessary to support several other
enhancements
4 Bracebridge Transit vehicle
procurement Necessary to support Project 1
Only applicable if Town-owned
$300k – $400k (purchase)
$200k – $300k (maintenance)
5 Bracebridge Mobility vehicle
procurement Necessary to support Project 1 Only applicable if Town-owned
$160k – $300k (purchase)
$120k – 180k (maintenance)
6 Demand-Response dispatch and
scheduling technology 4 4 4 4 4 < $60k for implementation
$65k – $125k total lifecycle (5-year) cost
including implementation and support
7 Enhanced Fare Collection using
TransitFare 2 4 3 3 4
< $20k for enhanced fare media
development
Note that using TransitFare limits
reporting capabilities
8 Transit event partnerships for
complimentary transit service 3 2 2 1 0* Low to no cost to implement.
Operating costs may be recoverable
through partners
9 Communication and marketing
campaign to encourage community to
return to and try transit 4 1 0* 1 0*
< $10k to run a basic marketing campaign
over five years.
10 New Fare Programs and Incentives See following evaluation for individual
components of this project
10.1 Employer bulk fare incentive for
monthly passes 4 3 2 2 1
$3k – $10k to implement new fare
products and administration system.
Moderate revenue impact if insufficient
uptake of new riders
10.2 Georgian College student fare
discount 2 1 0* 1 1 < $2k to implement. Likely little to no
revenue impact since ridership at the
College is presently low
11 Bracebridge Mobility Rider Handbook
Update 1 0* 0* 3 0* < $3k cost to implement
12 Improve Customer Touchpoints See following evaluation for individual
components of this project
12.1 Bracebridge Mobility Booking Website 1 1 3 3 3
$5k – $10k to implement. Should be
folded into costs for Project 6
12.2 On-Demand Request App 3 4 4 4 4
$5k – $15k to implement. Backend
software part of Project 6
12.3 Mobile Fare Payment App 3 3 3 2 4
$5k – $15k to implement. Backend
software part of Project 8
13 Computer-Aided Dispatch and
Automatic Vehicle Location system 3 2 3 2 4 < $200k for implementation
$170k – $315k total lifecycle (5-year) cost
including implementation and support
14 Integrated Traveller App 4 4 4 3 4
Up to $20k to implement
Depends on CAD/AVL solution
15 Bus Shelter Advertising
1 0* 0* 0* 0*
$2k – $8k to implement signage at
existing shelters. Ongoing maintenance
costs to handle advertisement
replacement, vandalism, etc.
16 Improve Regional Connections
1 2 2 1 0* $10k – $15k to implement enhancements
at Ecclestone and Wellington stop for
regional connectivity
0 No Meaningful
Impact 1 1 – Low impact 2 2 – Moderate
Impact 3 3 – Strong
Impact 4 4 – Exceptional Impact
FIGURE 58: Summary of proposed projects for inclusion in the Five-year Plan.
*Project does not have a meaningful impact on the evaluation criteria specified.
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7.2 PROJECT STAGING AND IMPLEMENTATION HIGHLIGHTS
To successfully deliver all of the elements of this strategy, the implementation requirements for each project were
assessed so that they could be staged appropriately and ensure that resources are balanced. The following table
summarizes the individual projects, their timeline for implementation, and the proposed project phases.
Project
Implementation Steps and
Considerations Timeline
Upfront Capital
Costs
1 Introduce the New
Bracebridge Transit
Network
1.1 Introduce On-Demand Transit
1.2 New Route Introduction & Realignment
1.3 Salmon Avenue Route Realignment
1.4 Bracebridge Mobility Expansion
1.5 Evening Service Expansion
1.6 Sunday Service Expansion
Launch in Q3 2023
Launch via Ball’s Drive in Q3 2024
Realign after completion of Salmon
Avenue (anticipated in 2023
Progressive rollout starting in Q3 2025
Launch with On-Demand in Q3 2023
Launch with On-Demand in Q3 2023
$ 10,000 – $ 15,000
$ 45,000 – $ 60,000
$ 18,000 – $ 20,000
-
-
-
2 Prepare new
contracts for
Bracebridge Transit
and Bracebridge
Mobility services
Ensure Project 3 – Documentation of
Service Standards is complete prior to
developing draft contract requirements
and going to tender
Consider leveraging Performance Based
Incentivization to support continuous
improvement of services
Extension of Bracebridge Transit
contract to August 2023
Prepare new procurement for service to
launch in Q3 2023, along side On-
Demand transit launch
Negligible
3 Document service
standards for
Bracebridge Transit
and Bracebridge
Mobility
Formalize current operating practices and
service design standards in formal policy
within the Town
Consider necessary reporting and
monitoring technologies, such as Projects
7 and 8.
Complete by Q3 2021 Negligible
4 Bracebridge Transit
vehicle procurement
Solicit quotes from vendors prior to Project
2 to support decision-making on vehicle
procurement
Consider future renditions of the Metrolinx
Transit Procurement Initiative to support
vehicle procurement
If cost of procurement is favourable,
plan to receive new vehicles by Q2
2024 in advance of new route network
$ 300,000 –
$ 400,000
5 Bracebridge Mobility
vehicle procurement
Solicit quotes from vendors prior to Project
2 to support decision-making on vehicle
procurement
Consider future renditions of the Metrolinx
Transit Procurement Initiative to support
vehicle procurement
If cost of procurement is favourable,
plan to receive new vehicles by Q2
2023 in advance of On-Demand service
launch
$ 160,000 –
$ 300,000
6 Demand-Response
dispatch and
scheduling
technology
Define detailed requirements for the
functionality that allow for future automated
Demand-Response booking application
and automated scheduling
Procure dispatch and scheduling
technology for launch ion Q3 2022
Integrate with projects 12.1 and 12.2
$ 12,000 – $ 65,000
7 Enhanced Fare
Collection using
TransitFare system
Work with TransitFare to introduce
incremental improvements to address
transit performance reporting issues,
introduce online account management
systems to card holders.
Consider support for project 12.3 in the
future
Enhancements ready for Q4 2021 Up to $ 20,000
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
61
Project
Implementation Steps and
Considerations Timeline
Upfront Capital
Costs
8 Transit event
partnerships for
complimentary
transit service for
participants
Begin with pilot program in Q3 2021
(Remembrance Day) to test
communication strategies and ridership
impact. Progressively grow partnerships
through 2022
Remembrance Day Pilot in Q3 2021
Additional event partnerships in 2022
Negligible
9 Communication and
marketing campaign
to encourage return
to transit
Update the Bracebridge Transit & Mobility
web pages
Work with local schools to produce
marketing materials inspiring transit usage
and highlighting COVID-19 pandemic
precautions
COVID-19 pandemic recovery
marketing in 2021
Update website by Q3 2021
Up to $ 10,000
10 New fare programs
and incentives
Introduce in parallel with the two-route
transit network
10.1 Employer bulk fare incentive for
monthly passes
10.2 Georgian College student fare
discount
Introduce in Q3 2024
Introduce in Q3 2024
$ 3,000 – $ 10,000
Up to $ 2,000
11 Bracebridge Mobility
rider handbook
update
Update alongside Project 12.1
Consider preparing content prior to start of
On-Demand service (Projects 1.1 and
12.2)
Update released in Q3 2022 Up to $ 3,000
12 Improve Customer
Touchpoints
12.1 Demand-Response booking website
12.2 On-Demand Request App
12.3 Mobile Fare Payment App
Launch in Q3 2022
Launch in Q3 2023
Launch in Q3 2024
$ 5,000 – $ 10,000
$ 5,000 – $ 10,000
$ 5,000 – $ 15,000
FIGURE 59: Summary table of proposed projects with key implementation notes and timelines.
The following table presents several projects that are not included in this five-year plan and includes the justification for
their exclusion at this time.
Project Rationale and Future Considerations
13 Computer-Aided
Dispatch and
Automatic Vehicle
Location system
Cost-prohibitive at this stage and likely oversized for the needs of the Town. Reconsider in late 2025
Identify opportunities to partner with neighbours such as District Municipality of Muskoka, Simcoe County, the
Town of Gravenhurst and the Town of Huntsville
14 Integrated Traveller
Application
Requires a robust Computer-Aided Dispatch and Automatic Vehicle Location system to support the necessary
trip planning and alert functionality, which is not being recommended at this stage. Reconsider in late 2025.
15 Bus shelter advertising Not recommended for launch as a revenue generator, since it is unclear whether there would be significant
enough interest to cover the costs of installing and maintaining ad space
Reconsider if program is geared toward local economic development and Town marketing activities
FIGURE 60: Summary table of projects that are not recommended for implementation at this time.
While these projects are not recommended at this time due to procurement challenges, costs or limited positive impact,
it is advisable to reconsider these projects at later stages of this five-year plan.
7.3 IMPLEMENTATION ROADMAP
The chart presented on the following page (Figure 61) includes the recommended projects as described in this report,
staging them over the next five years. This roadmap considers resource constraints and appropriate alignment of
activities to maximize efficiencies of procurement, development and service growth.
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FIGURE 61: Five-year project roadmap for enhancing Bracebridge Transit and Bracebridge Mobility services.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
63
8 FINANCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
This section presents an outline of capital and operating budget impacts of the overall program on an annualized basis,
as well as commentary on potential funding opportunities and subsidy requirements.
8.1 CAPITAL BUDGET ASSESSMENT
The total capital budget requirement over the next five years is estimated at between $564,000 and $940,000 in order
to deliver this five-year plan, with a significant investment in new vehicles to support service levels. This capital budget
forecast assumes Town ownership of vehicles (see Section 5.2). The following table in Figure 61 breaks down the capital
budget requirements by year, with a summary of the projects and activities requiring the funds.
Year Capital Requirement Notes
2021 $ 1,000 - $ 37,000
Enhance TransitFare to improve performance reporting, introduce online smart card
reload, and other enhancements. Cost dependent on degree of custom development or
new modules required for the TransitFare solution
2022 $ 18,000 - $ 73,000
Purchase Demand-Response software for Bracebridge Mobility and future On-Demand
service. Launch of online booking portal for Bracebridge Mobility. Variance in capital cost
driven by vendor and service delivery selection for the Demand-Response software.
2023 $ 179,000 - $ 339,000
Capital cost considers Town procurement of dedicated Bracebridge Mobility/On-Demand
vehicles (2) required for service. Includes introduction of On-Demand enhancements to
the Demand-Response software, a mobile application for booking, and stop installations
to support On-Demand service
2024 $ 348,000 - $ 472,000
Capital cost considers Town procurement of two new Bracebridge Transit vehicles to
replace the existing vehicle. Existing vehicle will be retained as a spare so long as it
remains in serviceable condition. Includes introduction of mobile payment application and
stop installations to support the new two-route service
2025 $ 18,000 - $ 20,000 Limited capital cost expenditures anticipated for expansion. Includes stop relocation for
the Salmon Avenue extension and new community centre.
FIGURE 62: Capital budget requirements for years 2021 through 2025. Values indicated are approximate in 2020 dollars and are exclusive of inflation.
The Federal and Provincial Governments have announced several funding opportunities that may support the capital
improvements as part of this five-year plan. They include:
$5.9 billion in 2021 earmarked from the Federal Government for public transit in support of the COVID-19
pandemic recovery;
Ongoing funding from the $33 billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program; and
Approximately $375 million in annual funding from the Provincial Gas Tax program, of which the Town has been
allocated approximately $155,000 in 2021.
As the COVID-19 pandemic transitions through vaccination and into recovery additional funding opportunities may arise
to support economic growth and municipal infrastructure improvements.
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8.2 OPERATING BUDGET ASSESSMENT
The operating budget for Bracebridge Transit and Bracebridge Mobility will expand in lock-step with the introduction of
new services in the Town. The expansion of service is closely tied to several capital projects described previously and
aims to support a return to steady ridership growth after the conclusion of pandemic-related emergency restrictions.
The following table presents key operational components impacting the operating budget for the following five years,
considering the service levels stipulated in Section 4.5, Proposed Annual Network and Service Changes. Note that
these calculations consider the range of ridership estimates presented in previous sections, and their associated impact
on revenue. In all cases, we anticipate that net cost per rider will remain within reasonable variance of the 2019 actual
cost ($10.68 per trip) and that the Revenue/Cost ratio will be approximately the same in 2025 (12.6-14.6%) as it was
in 2019 (13.1%). By 2026, it is anticipated that the net cost per rider and overall Revenue/Cost ratio will improve beyond
2019 levels.
Costs 2019 (Actual) 2021* 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
(Representative)
Transit Service - $195,000 $195,000 $195,000 $292,500 $390,000 $390,000
Bracebridge
Mobility
Service
- $162,500 $162,500 $235,500 $308,750 $308,750 $308,750
Vehicle
Maintenance - $25,000 $25,000 $35,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000
Technology
Licensing - $10,000 $20,000 $22,000 $24,000 $24,000 $24,000
Operating Cost $334,000 $392,500 $402,500 $487,500 $675,250 $772,750 $772,750
Revenue
Total Ridership 27,193 ~ 19,500 36,300 – 37,500 51,800 – 57,500 58,600 – 67,100 62,200 – 72,000 63,700 – 74,000
Average Fare
per Trip $1.60 $1.60 $1.60 $1.60 $1.60 $1.60 $1.60
Estimated
Revenue $43,610 ~ $31,000 $58 – 59,000 $82 – 91,000 $93 – 107,000 $99 – 115,000 $101 – 118,000
Net Cost Indicators
Net Operating
Cost $290,390 ~$356,460 $342 – 344,000 $430 – 439,000 $560 – 574,000 $678 – 694,000 $654 – 671,000
Net Cost per
Rider $10.68 $16.81 $9.13 - $9.15 $7.48 - $8.48 $8.35 – $9.79 $9.41 – $11.15 $8.84 - $10.52
Revenue/Cost
Ratio 13.1% 9.2% 14.4 - 14.9% 15.9 – 17.7% 14.1 – 16.2% 12.6 – 14.6% 13.2 – 15.4%
FIGURE 63: Summary of operating budget impacts as well as cost indicators for tracking performance over time. Note that 2019 actuals are presented
as representative of targets, while 2026 is presented to indicate anticipated ridership gains from proposed service improvements. Values indicated
are approximate in 2020 dollars and are exclusive of inflation.
* 2021 assumes a return to pre-pandemic economic activities by Q3. Ridership and revenue estimates are estimated on that basis.
Town of Bracebridge Transit & Mobility Five-Year Business Plan
65
Gas tax allocations from the Province have historically been used for offsetting operating costs but may also be used to
offset capital improvements. Gas tax is allocated proportionally based on transit ridership across the Province from a
fund of roughly $375 million annually. In 2021, the Town was allocated $155,000 from the Provincial Gas Tax fund.
8.2.1 REVENUE CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE FUTURE
One consideration that is not factored in this report is a change in fare strategy. While the diversity of fare products is
generally good, of particular note is the relatively low average fare collected per trip. It may be worthwhile evaluating
discounted fare products, such as the easyPASS. Most agencies price monthly passes based on an estimated number
of trips per month in the range of 35-45 trips, relative to a cash fare. The easyPASS is presently heavily discounted at a
relative price of 20 trips per month.
While uptake on the easyPASS is presently quite low (3-4% per of total trips in 2019), this is likely to change as new
fare media (such as mobile payment) is introduced and ridership grows over the next five years. The implication is that
interest in monthly passes at the presently discounted rate will drastically reduce the average fare per trip. It is important
to closely monitor interest in all fare products as demand changes and ridership grows in order to maintain the average
fare paid trip at $1.60 (2020 dollars) adjusted to inflation.
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