COUF

TO: Members of Council May 26th, 1972 MAY 29 1972

FROM: Mayor L.B. Scott

While attending the C.F.M.M, Convention in Quebec City last week I chose
to attend the "Transportation Workshop" held to discuss experimental and
demonstration projects.

Main topic was a dial-a-bus service which was instituted last year in Bay
Ridges, a community of 15,000 people and located just outside of Toronto.

| Speakers were, Councillor Bernie Wolfe of Winnipeg, Mr. Lloyd Holmes,
Deputy Minister, Department of Highways, Saskatchewan, and Mr. John Bonsall,
Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications.

The dial-a~bus operation at Bay Ridges is operated and paid for by the
Province of Ontario at this time.

There are three concepts under which the system has operated. The first
“being a £1xed route - with some deviation allowed. The second is called the
Mini-to-one ~ it eliminates the concept of any fixed route and has no fixed
route or time schedule. The third concept is calied the Many-to~many and
operates to demand as a group.taxi, although dispatching has proven to be

difficult.

The. mini-bus operates in conjunction with other travel facilities: such

as train, plane and bus.

Equipment used are converted Econo-ford Vans that seat eleven passengers.
They are dispatched from a small terminal with four telephone lines.

The service is described as approaching the convenience of the private car
both in service and economy. .

‘One hour of previous notification is needed for dispatching with many
pick-ups being booked ahead one week. ;

The service operated 16 hours per day and the first year travelled 103,000
miles and had 150,000 passengers. Little vandalism was encountered by the buses.

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