North Dundas Township is currently surveying its residents about transit options. Right now, there are none. The survey is looking not only at transit inside that township, but also at access to commuter transfer points with OC Transpo in Ottawa. For a growing community on the doorstep of the nation’s capital, this survey makes a lot of sense as a first step to action. It is something South Dundas should investigate as well, and it would make a good campaign issue in the upcoming municipal election.
According to Statistics Canada, South Dundas has a higher rate of growth than North Dundas. With two housing developments in Iroquois, one in Morrisburg for now, with a second going through the preliminary stages, South Dundas’ communities south of Highway 401 are going to see residential population growth unseen since the St. Lawrence Seaway Project in the 1950s. Presently, there are no options for transportation in South Dundas outside of individual vehicle ownership or the use of taxis.
We know that access to transportation is one of the great equalizers in a community. We also know residents who are at or below the poverty line often pay more to access basic medical services or even purchase groceries when there is no public transit service. Taxi rides to medical appointments can be cost-prohibitive, leaving some who need care unable to seek it. Communities with even the most basic of transit services will see connections and outcomes improve.
There are local success stories that apply to rural transportation. In Leeds and Grenville, the River Route operates a two-hour bus loop between Brockville, Augusta Township, Prescott, and Edwardsburgh Cardinal. That system costs about $167,000 a year to operate and receives provincial transit funding along with municipal support. North Grenville’s transit system offers a fixed route with connections to OC Transpo, and an on-demand system that serves the entire municipality. In both cases, fares are $5 per trip, and both services connect with other transit systems to increase access for residents.
Transportation will continue to become a larger issue in South Dundas. Changes going into effect at Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario will see increased walking distances for students to local schools. Increasing financial strain due to global economic conditions will make having a second vehicle that much more expensive. A growing population in South Dundas wanting to connect to local businesses and services will add to that strain. Maybe the question should not be why South Dundas is not examining a bus system, but rather why it has not been considered already?
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