It is not often
that someone tries to start up a transit agency without public
money, but Darren Parberry intends to bring local bus service to the
fast-growing Town of Caledon -- perhaps as soon as this fall -- all
with privately raised money. Traditionally a collection of rural
towns, Caledon represents a challenge for transit, one that other
GTA cities and regions are facing right now. To put enough people on
buses, you need a certain number of homes per hectare -- the more
dense the population, the less subsidy is needed per rider.
Parberry, the
president of Métis Transit, proposes to serve spread-out Caledon
with 33-seat buses, which are smaller than the vehicles used by the
TTC, as well as erect bus shelters (and even have them cleared of
snow) -- all for a $2 flat cash fare. He says that the biggest users
would be students and seniors, people who now face an average $30
taxi fare to travel within the area. Ideally, he says Métis Transit
would connect to northwestern Toronto with a stop at Humber College.
If you go to
the company’s website, be prepared for an unusual approach to
transit. There are two sets of planned systems, one here in greater
Toronto and the other in British Columbia. The Caledon service needs
$5 million to get started, and the company president claims private
investors will provide necessary financing. The website
www.metistransit.com also includes a request for donations.
Why is it
called Métis Transit? Simply because Parberry himself is Métis. A
bigger question: Can a privately-run bus system actually work in an
environment where every other agency needs fare subsidies from 20%
to 50%? This ambitious entrepreneur says yes -- the demand is there.
“We’re still progressing very slowly and very carefully as we grow,
but we’ve heard from other towns that need service as well. Not only
in the nearby area, but all over Canada now.”
Parberry thinks
his creation is the new model for transit. “What we’ve done is we’ve
taken transit and (brought) it right down to the grassroots, where
it should be. Get the community involved, into what we call the
community transit advisory committee. The committee is made up of
the general public -- from every age group. They meet once a month,
they get feedback from the community itself. So if there’s a
thought, suggestion, concern -- we know right away and we can
address it right away.”
That’s one of
many innovations this company would bring to the GTA transit scene
-- where almost every transit service is administered by government
and subsidized by tax revenues. Only Viva, the new rapid bus network
scheduled to open in southern York Region this fall, involves the
private sector in the design, planning and customer outreach of a
local transit service. Time will tell if Métis Transit will begin
service, and the company must still negotiate with the town council
in Caledon. We’ll check in again to see how the venture is
proceeding.
Send e-mail to
transit@eddrass.com.
Include address and phone number.