About 70% of people would use a public transit system between area communities, a new transit survey says.
The Navigating Grand Erie survey of 425 residents found that 71% would use a transit system that connected the communities of Brantford, Brant, Haldimand, Norfolk, Six Nations and New Credit, if it was available. A smaller number of residents are interested in transit to travel to cities outside Grand Erie.
Two in five people would use an intercommunity transit for leisure or personal purposes, while 1 in 5 would use it to get to and from work, according to the transit survey by the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie.
Executive Director Danette Dalton said the survey was conducted to follow up the organization’s earlier research and surveys that showed that some residents can’t obtain work in certain areas or have left jobs because of the distance from their homes, the time/cost of travelling to and from work, and the lack of transportation options.
“Limited transportation affects job seekers’ capacity to find and maintain work,” Dalton said. “On the flip side, lack of transit can limit the ability of businesses to attract and retain employees.”
The Navigating Grand Erie transit survey found that while 80% of full-time workers own vehicles, only 48% of people who were unemployed do.
Public transit currently exists in Brantford (Brantford Transit) and Norfolk (Ride Norfolk), while the County of Brant offers a Brant e-ride program, but other parts of the Grand Erie area are without service. There are also few transit links, with limited destinations and often long travel times, for residents who work outside the area, such as in Cambridge and Woodstock, Dalton said.
“Efforts are underway by the Southwest Community Transit (SCT) to expand transit services between mainly rural communities,” she said. “We believe the survey will help community and transit leaders better understand the needs and interests of the workforce in enhancing services, now and in the future.”
To read the report, visit our Transportation Survey page.
An interactive report with highlights is also available.
