Claim: A ‘last-mile’ shuttle service by Translink could help fix traffic woes by connecting residents to the two SkyTrain stations.
Verdict: While the Bowen Island pilot was well-regarded by users, we just don’t know yet if the economics work.
Meghan Lahti correctly observes that while Port Moody has two SkyTrain stations, many residents lack quality transit service to get to them – keeping much of the city dependent on their cars. In addition to the novel idea of actually allowing people to live near the stations, she’s promised to “lobby Translink to make Port Moody a pilot for a ‘Last Mile’ Uber-style Shuttle Service, similar to Bowen Island.”
She’s referring to a pilot program that Translink operated on Bowen Island called Transit On-Demand. The idea was for people to book rides up to 2 weeks in advance using the TapRide app, for additional shuttles that supplemented established routes.
Based on a report published by Translink about the program, the service was rated well (average 8.6 out of 10) by users in its 2-month run, and it improved service over a wider geographical area. Of 1,600 people who downloaded the app, 554 people used the service and made a total of 2,000 trips.
But it’s still unclear how much the program cost. Translink said the pilot project will cost the Mayor’s Council $200,000, but we couldn’t find the final bill or cost breakdown. $200,000 for 2,000 trips works-out to $100 per trip, but this likely included start-up capital costs. Operating costs per-trip would need to be far below this for Translink to justify providing the service.
Meghan’s website referred to the service as “Uber-style” – but to be clear, this was not a bus version of Uber. Riders could only request rides (pick-ups and drop-offs) along pre-designated routes. Translink was keen to work-out the kinks of the app, then consider using it in Metro Vancouver; it’s unclear if this is still on the table.
Ultimately we need to ask:
- Is the service appropriate for Port Moody? Bowen Island is over twice the area of Port Moody, with a fraction of the population.
- Would lobbying efforts be better spent on improving conventional bus service instead? Bus routes already cover most of the city, but their lack of frequency is the major problem.
- Are operating economics even in the ballpark range of viability?
- Wouldn’t Port Moody taxpayers be on the hook if the program just serves us?
Port Moody Fact Check 