Skip to content

Night buses avoid the axe in Timmins

Councillor Andrew Marks' cost savings idea is snuffed out
Timmins Transit Bus Night
An evening Route 902 bus waits at the main transit station on Spruce Street. Andrew Autio for TimminsToday

Evening transit users in Timmins can breathe a sigh of relief, as council has rejected an idea of closing down bus service at 10 p.m. each day.

The idea was first mentioned by Councillor Andrew Marks in mid-February, as a potential target for cost savings under the city's current budget crunch. There was significant public backlash to the idea.

At Monday night's council meeting, Marks explained his rationale.

"First off, I want to acknowledge that Mrs.(Catherine) Verreault and our transit team run a very efficient operation. I'm very aware of that. I don't believe there's a lot of 'excess' there. I believe it to be very efficient, and I believe it to be an essential service that is required within the city of Timmins," he said.

He received a whole lot of feedback from 'many, many, many people' who presented their views on the idea.

"They were very personal reviews about people who cited that they need it to work at Home Depot, that they need it to go do their groceries, that they do need it, and need it, and need it, and need it, and need it," said Marks.

"I'm not in any way trying to take something away, but in a budgetary process, when we're sitting around this table, as I stated to them, I believe its part of my responsibility to review everything and to look at services," he said.

He explained that savings upwards of $90,000 could be realized if transit service were to end at 10 p.m., but realized he was fighting an uphill battle on this matter.

"I don't believe the apetite of council is there to look at this change. But as I noted with the people that I was talking to, there are other things in transit that we could look at. Whether we're looking at cutting service, stopping at a time, or route rationalization, which is looking at any route duplication, which we could cut. Or eliminating half hour runs, down to hourly runs to save money."

He also mentioned "thinking outside the box" and brought up an idea of a "by request only" nighttime bus.

"Which means you're picking up a phone, and you're calling somebody, and maybe that's the late night runs with one or two people going across our city," said Marks.

The Ward 5 Councillor insisted he was merely trying to be proactive in examining all savings possibilities.

"I tried to think a little bit outside of the box with this. I gave you one set of numbers to look at for a service cut. I don't believe it has the support of this council, but I did want to present these numbers to you."

When it came time for the vote only Councillors Marks, Rick Dubeau, and Veronica Farrell were in favor of moving ahead with that possibility for this year. It was defeated.

Timmins Transit routes are currently consolidated into two city-wide routes after 7 p.m.. Final buses leave the transit station on Spruce Street at 11:30 p.m. 


Comments

Verified reader

If you would like to apply to become a verified commenter, please fill out this form.




Andrew Autio, freelance

About the Author: Andrew Autio, freelance

Andrew Autio is a Timmins-based freelance journalist
Read more