WELLINGTON COUNTY – A consultant was enlisted to take a deep dive into not only trends for the Ride Well transportation service, but also what comes next as the pilot project nears its end in early 2025.
To be presented to the economic development committee in Wellington County Tuesday morning, Dillon Consulting’s report says it was designed to sum up input from residents, as well as identifying improvements and next steps.
Among recommendations for the “medium term” is the exploration of examining cost-sharing through a designated service within Centre Wellington.
Notably, the report details, nearly half of all trips start or end in Fergus.
Guelph, Elora and Guelph/Eramosa are the most frequent destinations, with 34 to 42 per cent of all trips starting or ending in these three locations.
Dillon Consulting estimates it would cost around $116,400 to add one more vehicle across 11 hours of the service day for the rest of the pilot.
Also noted is the benefit of adding a call-centre to help residents with any questions or concerns during operating hours.
Surprisingly, the report goes on to say, 42 per cent of respondents to a public engagement survey had not heard of the Ride Well service.
More public engagement, and possibly the partnership with Centre Wellington, highlight what the firm recommends.
The report will be presented at the meeting beginning Tuesday at 10 a.m.
You can find the full document here.
