City staff are considering potential changes to GOVA Transit’s three main transit hubs, including the Downtown, New Sudbury and South End locations.
They’re seeking public feedback on the open-ended project, which was proposed in the 2019 Transit Action Plan and subsequently delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is taking that council-approved plan and dusting off some very good ideas and projects that help continue improvements to the transit system,” City Transit Services director Brendan Adair told Sudbury.com.
“We’re excited about what the outcome could be, and we really appreciate the feedback of the public to support those projects.”
Although the potential relocation of transit hubs is a topic of debate, Adair said the city drew circles around them on a map and plan on keeping them in their current general vicinity.
The New Sudbury and South End hubs are open-air setups on private property, at the New Sudbury Centre and the South End Walmart, respectively.
The Downtown terminal, located on Elm Street downtown, includes a structure built in the mid-’90s, which Adair said has grown cramped over the years.
“It’s tight, we’ve got buses parked everywhere,” he said, clarifying that while there are some positives, such as a connection to downtown and connections to active transportation such as the upcoming Paris-Notre Dame Bikeway, there isn’t room for it to grow.
Taking the Downtown hub’s washrooms as an example, he said any consideration about expanding the facilities would be saddled by the property’s lack of available space.
The electrification of the city’s GOVA Transit fleet, expected to take place by 2035, will also need to be considered, Adair said.
“It could just be depot charging, but lots of systems consider en route charging, and that would be at a mobility hub,” he said.
“We’re looking holistically across the whole service level, cognizant of the strategies for council that relate to transit.”
The city hosted in-person public consultation meetings at the three transit hubs last week, and has an online survey open until May 4, which can be accessed by clicking here.
City staff will factor the public feedback into a feasibility study they plan on presenting to city council by September, which will include options.
Following the proposed timeline, a conceptual schematic design will be drafted and presented to city council early next year, go to tender, and the new GOVA Transit hubs would open in 2025.
Although a review of the city’s transit hub stations was delayed by the pandemic, the city has proceeded with various components of the Transit Action Plan since 2019, including the realignment of transit routes as part of its overhaul as GOVA Transit.
The city has also introduced its Next Stop System, which includes screens and other communications systems in buses to let riders know what stops are coming up.
A downtown security pilot program was made permanent by city council and 23 new conventional buses have replaced older vehicles, and are low-floor accessible.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
