Transportation is a critical link in achieving full participation in community life including employment, recreation, shopping, and medical/social services. Residents of rural communities face a number of challenges with respect to available and affordable transportation to services and employment opportunities. Urban communities with populations under 25,000 people find it difficult to bridge the gap between cost-effective public transportation and the needs of community members.

Community transportation is described by the Wainwright District Council as involving four sectors:

1. Public Transportation: provided by municipalities for the general public and for people with specialized transportation needs

2. School Transportation: provided by private school bus operators through contracts with school boards

3. Health Transportation: provided through public or private ambulance operators, hospitals, and long-term care agencies

4. Social Transportation: provided or purchased by or through agencies serving people with developmental disabilities, day care centres, vocational rehabilitation services, and other social service agencies.

The findings in this section of the report reflect the secondary data collection together with the commonalities identified through the primary data collection process with respect to:

• community consultation

• characteristics

• gaps and concerns

• potential solutions.

• the most common concerns voiced by respondents were the lack of regional transportation, lack of transportation for those who require treatment outside the community, and affordability in general

• the community offers good accessibility to major highways, and both local and international airports

• options are available locally for short distance transportation within Camrose County, and long distance outside the community

• a number of options are available within the City of Camrose including several taxi companies

• cost can be a barrier to individuals operating on a low-income budget, to students with young children, and to patients requiring treatment in another community

• opportunities appear to exist to co-ordinate existing transportation services and programs more effectively, and for social service agencies to work more closely together to develop solutions for clients who require treatment outside the community

The following will provide an overview of:

• the Camrose area is well connected via air, rail and ground transportation

• although there is not a public transit system in the community, a range of private and not-for-profit organizations provide local service

• taxi service can become costly for residents, particularly if they are making a stop on the way to or from their destination

• although the Canadian Cancer Society provides inexpensive volunteer service to assist patients in reaching their appointments in Edmonton and there is a “Care Cars” program in place, it is costly for dialysis patients travelling to Wetaskiwin for treatment

• local taxi companies include Camrose Courtesy Cabs, Greyline Taxi, Lakeside Taxi and Armand’s Cabs

• the Rose City Handivan Society in Camrose provides transportation within the city and area for seniors and disabled clients and all the school bus service for disabled children

• the Bashaw Bus Society provides transportation for all ages within the town and from Bashaw to Camrose with a stop in New Norway on specific days

• Greyhound Bus Lines offers inter-community passenger and freight service three times daily with stops in Camrose and Bashaw

• Battle River School Division operates rural school buses for both public and Catholic. Allan Hay provides school bus transportation within the city of Camrose

• Cornerstone Christian Academy provides bussing for their students also with the cost being part of the monthly school fees

• Companions for Senior Citizens and Integrated Lifestyles both provide transportation with companions to seniors and disabled individuals 24/7 for a fee

• Providence Place in Daysland has a handivan they rent from the Daysland & District Aging In Place Foundation which is available to take Bawlf & Rosalind residents of all ages to Daysland or Camrose for appointments as needed for a small fee. The handivan can be chartered as well for groups. To date it has not been taken advantage of by the Camrose county residents.

• Neighbourlink provides volunteer drivers from local churches for people in need to get to appointments within the county and surrounding area

• Plan it Consulting/We Care Service has a handivan available only with Companions which will take seniors and disabled anywhere within Alberta 24/7 for a fee

• Canadian Cancer Society uses volunteers to provide transportation to cancer patients to major centres for treatment

• Camrose has 7 courier/delivery services based in town that service both the city and county and is also serviced by the major national delivery services

• more than a dozen trucking firms provide services to the area and terminal facilities are available.

• Highway 2 - a direct link to Edmonton and Calgary about half an hour from the community

• Highway 13 - east from the Saskatchewan border west to Highway 2 providing access to Edmonton and other points across Alberta

• Highway 21 - north to Edmonton providing access to Miquelon Provincial Park and south to Highway 1 (TransCanada Highway) direct link to Calgary

• Highway 26 - east from Camrose to the Ribstone Historical sites

• Highway 53 - east/west through the county to Highway 2 via Ponoka

• Highway 56 - north/south on an alternate route to the TransCanada Highway through Drumheller providing access to the Badlands tourism area and the Big Valley Jamboree.

Both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railways provide freight service to the area. Canadian National provides rail service to the Town of Bashaw. Spur lines are available in two industrial parks.

Calgary International Airport is about 280 kilometres from the community and Edmonton International Airport is about 72 kilometers from the Camrose area. Both provide passenger and cargo service together with a number of consumer services including gift shops, foreign exchange, book shops, hotel, restaurants and lounges, fast food centre, duty free shop, Customs clearance, and ground transportation service. The Camrose Airport, in close proximity to the community and 45 minutes from Edmonton International Airport, has a paved and lighted 1,372m airstrip, terminal building, hangars and tie-downs.

Scheduled airline service from both International Airports to destinations all over the world is provided by a broad range of airline agencies and operators including Air Canada, Air Transat, Canadian North Airlines, WestJet, Horizon Air, Northwest Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Martinair, Tango Air.

Table F3: Proximity to Major Centres by Air

(Leaving from Edmonton International Airport)

Table F4 sets out the findings identified through consultation with the community, observations with respect to the community, and a review of the existing programs and services.

Table F4: Gaps, Concerns and Contributing Factors

A rural transportation is vital to the community. The service may be a scheduled fixed-route service, dial-a-ride, ridesharing, vanpooling, friendly trips, or some other mode. A “Rural Transit Service Design and Scheduling” framework developed by the Community Transportation Association will be included with the literature reviewed during this process.

To be effective and lasting, these local solutions must be operated by the individual community to meet local needs. The participation of volunteers is essential to keep costs affordable, and users are asked to pay a fee.

• The Holden Transportation Project (Beaver Call A Ride Service) initiated in 1997 by the Beaver County Action Committee coordinates the Town of Holden system (seniors only) and the rural system to serve low-income families and the disabled. Clients must be fully mobile or accompanied by a friend or family member. Utilizing private vehicles and trained volunteer drives to provide transportation service to clients, the system also provides shuttle services to Edmonton, Viking, Camrose and Tofield. A one-time grant from Health Canada currently assists with the coordinator’s salary however the Society will need to fundraise in the future. the service is subsidized 50% by the Society and 50% by client with some exceptions as necessary. Training includes professional driver training programs ($100), first aid training, mechanical inspection of vehicles and increased insurance premiums. Drivers receive a remuneration of .035 cents/km for vehicle expenses.

• The Wainwright Transportation Initiative provides a coordinated transportation service for the Town of Wainwright and the MD utilizing the 5 existing vans/buses. The pooling of resources from public, health, social and school sectors is intended to provide a coordinated and consolidated transportation system.

• A Seniors Services Program of Champaign County in Illinois developed a rural transportation program providing free door-to-door service for residents of rural Champaign County. Van routes travel within the County on four scheduled routes. Reservations are required and medical appointments receive the highest priority service. This service is provided in partnership with the American Red Cross.

• Another Family and Senior Transportation Service in rural Illinois is offered through the Family Services agency. It provides transportation for individuals 60 years of age and over to and from doctor, dental, business appointments or the grocery store. Every effort is made to obtain a ride with a volunteer for each senior. When a volunteer cannot be found, a cab service may be used. Cab rides are provided at half the normal fare. Grocery van rides are available with set routes and operating weekly from different parts of the County. Seniors may ride on the grocery van once a week and requests must be called into the centre in advance. This is a partnership between state and municipal governments, community-based human service agencies, cab companies and resident volunteers.

• The Community Transportation Assistance Program in Nova Scotia promotes the delivery of, and provides operating support for, cost effective and sustainable community-based transportations services in rural and low population density population areas in Nova Scotia. Funding for the program, in the form of grants, is available to municipalities and not-for-profit community-based organizations.

• The Manitoba government assisted rural communities in setting up and operating handivan services through its Program for Transportation of the Mobility Disadvantaged. In other communities school buses are used off hours or car pools are created with volunteer drivers.

• In Saskatchewan the Rural Transportation Assistance Program was established to provide connection from isolated areas to towns on a commercial bus line.

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