Public transit was a big topic of discussion at the May 25 Centre Wellington Council meeting.
Colin Baker, managing director of infrastructure services, was joined by longtime transit consultant, Dennis Kar, to present the final report of the Transit Feasibility Study to Centre Wellington Council staff.
The findings of the report indicate the Township of Centre Wellington has the capacity to welcome a local public transit system between Fergus, Elora and Salem along with a Fergus-Guelph regional connection.
Members of Council are supportive of a more established transit system, but they want to ensure outstanding details are ironed out before anything is approved.
Councillor Barbara Lustgarten-Evoy said she is very excited for a local public transit expansion, however Kar said a new transit system would likely replace the free Downtown Shuttle between Elora and Fergus, which Lustgarten-Evoy said is a critical community service.
Councillor Lisa MacDonald followed up and said she would also like to see some sort of free route or service to be included in this project.
Consultant Kar said free service could be assessed and maybe focused around peak times and weekends, but ultimately a fare will help offset some of the operation costs.
The detailed report presents a current adult fare of $3.50 for local fixed-route services and $5 per adult taking a regional route with a transfer time of 90 minutes.
Children 12 and under ride for free and there is also an available discounted rate of 50 per cent, dependent on income eligibility.
Kar said another way to offset costs is by sourcing external funding, such as through Ontario Transit Investment Fund, Provincial Gas Tax Program and/or the Canada Public Transit Fund.
Due to the time and resources it takes to operate a public transit system the study recommends the Township take a shared service responsibility with Wellington County.
This would alleviate some of the financial pressure from the municipality; the County would focus on regional routes while the Township would cover local routes.
Mayor Shawn Watters said splitting the costs not only helps Centre Wellington, but gives an extra boost the Township needs to support surrounding communities.
Township staff will return to this topic at the Council meeting on June 29, 2026, to seek endorsement of the Transit Feasibility Study.
Kar said specific details in the study are subject to change, such as fare costs.
