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Lacombe Weather:
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Traditionally
smaller urban municipalities because of their size and resources have
not to any extent provided public transportation to its citizens.
Because of the physical size of these communities and the
relative closeness of the residents in terms of family and social
relationships, those lacking the ability to use private transportation
have been able to get to where they have needed to go by other means.
As well for smaller municipalities, investment in public
transportation is often beyond their fiscal capacity. As
these smaller towns grow in physical size however, those living in them
need to rely more and more on the transportation by motor vehicle.
While the automobile is able to provide freedom of movement for
those who are able to own and operate a vehicle, it has the effect of
isolating and removing the freedom of movement from those who cannot.
Seniors
are drawn to larger communities because of health services and seniors
housing. These communities
are also attractive as a place for retirement.
Because of this the nature of family and social relationships may
change for these people and the degree of support that they had from
family and friends often diminishes. While
it is recognized that the transportation of individuals should remain
the primary responsibility of the individual, family or care givers,
there remains a secondary responsibility on the part of the
municipality to provide a certain level of public transportation for
those individuals who no other practical alternatives. The
Town of Lacombe is of sufficient size to justify the provision of public
transportation for those special groups of citizens that are, for
reasons of age or physical or mental capacity, do not easily have access
to private transportation. Groups
to which Public Transportation Should be Provided The
following identifiable groups should be provided public transportation
to the practical limits of the municipality: 1.
Highest priority 1.1 Primary and Secondary
School Students who are going to and from a local school and who,
for reasons of physical handicaps, mental handicaps, temporary or
permanent medical conditions or personality
characteristics: a) are unable to use b)
have significant difficulty in using or, c)
do not have access to existing
school bus service or private motor vehicle. 2.
Second Priority 2.1 Frail Elderly who
for reasons of physical frailty or mental confusion are not able to walk
or have difficulty walking and who have no other means of accessing
private transportation. 2.2 Handicapped Adults and
Children who, for reasons of physical handicaps and
mental handicaps are unable to use, have significant difficulty
in using or do not have access to private transportation. 2.3 The Infirm or
Institutionalized who are an occupant of a health care institution
including the active and extended care sections of the Lacombe Community
Health Care Center and the Lacombe Seniors Lodge 3.
Third Priority 3.1 Seniors Generally
who are 60 years of age or older and who do not have access to private
transportation either individually or through family and friends Delivery
of Public Transportation Public
Transportation Services may be provided by public enterprise, private
enterprise or a combination of both.
Service level, costs effectiveness and afford ability for the
prospective user are the determining factors.
Where the public sector and private sector are able to offer
comparable services at comparable costs, public sector operation is
preferred because social policy considerations can be more easily
implemented. Public
Support for the Costs of Public
Transportation Where
subsidization of a group or activity is justified, the degree of
public support should be 50% of the actual costs of operation.
Of this public support, 25% should be raised voluntarily from the
public and 75% gained from grants from senior levels of government and contributions
from the general revenues
of municipal and other local governments. Costs of operation shall
include driver's wages and benefit costs, fuel, insurance, maintenance
and repair, common service charges.
At
least 50% of the capital funds necessary for the initial purchase of
public transportation vehicles and their subsequent replacement shall be
raised voluntarily from the community at large.
The remaining funds may come from grants from senior levels of
government and contributions from the
general revenues of municipal and other local governments. Groups
and Activities for which subsidization should be available. 1.
Local trips for the Frail Elderly, Handicapped Adults and
Children and the Infirm. 2.
Non local trips for medical related reasons including attendance
to physicians, specialists, clinics and other medical facilities which
are not available locally. Groups
and Activities for which subsidization is not available. 1.
Trips to and from School for School Students.
2.
Local trips for Seniors Generally 3.
Charters 4.
Non-local trips for other than medical reasons. SPECIFIC
POLICIES 1.
The Town of Lacombe shall provide a public transportation
service, to be known as the Lacombe Handivan Service for the
transportation of School
Students, Frail Elderly, Handicapped Adults and Children, the Infirm and
Seniors General in the priority set out in the General Principles. 2.
The Town of Lacombe shall acquire title to a paratransit vehicle
with the capacity to carry both wheelchair passengers and walk-on
passengers. 3.
The Lacombe Handivan Service shall be administered by the Town
Manager and the Administration Department shall provide accounting and
administrative support for the Lacombe Handivan Service. 4.
The paratransit vehicle shall be incorporated into the Common
Service vehicle and equipment fleet and the Public Works Department
shall be responsible to house, maintain and repair the paratransit
vehicle. 5.
The Lacombe and District Family and Community Support Services
agency will provide booking services for the Lacombe Handivan Service. 6.
The paratransit vehicle may only be operated by an employee of
the Town of Lacombe. Drivers
shall be designated as employees under the personnel policies of the
Town and shall be assigned to Salary Grid G1.
7.
Public transportation services shall be provided between the
hours of 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM, Mondays through Fridays.
Charter services may be operated at times and on days outside of
the regular hours provided a driver is available. 8.
The following rates are set to recover on an overall basis 50% of
the operating costs of the Lacombe Handivan Service in each year. These rates shall be effective upon adoption and subject to
review January 1 of each year. In
this policy : a)
"local" shall mean: I)
within the corporate limits of the Town of Lacombe, or ii) within that area of
the County of Lacombe as shown on Figure 1. b) "non-local
" shall mean: I) City of Red
Deer, or ii) within that area of
the County of Lacombe from the north to south boundaries lying within
Ranges 24-28 W4 and Range 1 W5.
(11/27/00) Notwithstanding
the General Principles the rates set out above represent an ongoing
minimum level. Any operating surplus that may arise in any year shall be
diverted to a capital replacement reserve for future public
transportation vehicles.
(02/26/96 - Ref 96-069) 9.
It shall be the primary objective to maximize the utilization of
the paratransit vehicle. The
scheduling of school students shall have overall priority.
While schedulers will endeavour to schedule bookings as closely
as possible to the wishes of the rider,
it may be necessary for the sake of utilization to establish
certain blocks of time on certain days of the week for specific groups
or activities. 10. In each year representation
shall be made to the County of Lacombe municipally for a contribution
towards the operating costs of the Lacombe Handivan Service.
11. The operator of paratransit
vehicle, at his or her discretion, may require that any passenger
seeking transportation on the vehicle be accompanied by an
attendant: a) if the passenger
requires supervision and attention from the operator to the point where
the operator is distracted or may be distracted from operating the
vehicle in a safe manner, b) if the passenger has
the potential to disrupt or disturb other passengers, c) if the passenger
requires assistance of operator beyond the physical ability of the
operator, or, d) if the passenger upon
embarking or disembarking from
the vehicle places an excessive amount of responsibility on the operator
for ensuring the safety of the passenger. 12. The Town Manager may enact
such operating procedures and requirements that are consistent with
general principles of this policy and the specific policies set out. Objectives
of the Handivan Advisory Committee 1.
The Committee will undertake a review of the 1993 operation and
provide to Council in January
of 1994 a: ! report of
the year's operations ! recommended
rates and policy changes ! recommended
budget for 1994 2.
The Committee will investigate with the Town of Blackfalds an
extension of the service to Blackfalds, providing recommendations to
Council accordingly. 3.
Should the current paratransit vehicle become unable to meet the
demand for services under this policy,
the Committee will examine the use and subsidization of
locally based taxi services to provide public transportation,
forwarding recommendations to Council accordingly. 4.
The Committee will undertake to coordinate the seeking of voluntary
contributions from the general public.
The target level of fundraising will be 25% of the overall public
funding required within the approved budget.
Funds may raised: ! passively
from memorial donations and generally advertising in Town publications ! actively
from organizations representing the primary clientele of the Lacombe
Handivan Service, service
organizations that have traditionally assisted public transportation in
Lacombe and from a single, special fundraising event sponsored each year
by the Committee The
success of public fundraising and voluntary contributions will be
dependent on a public education program and the Committee will be exploit
a variety of techniques to improve the public awareness of the handivan
service and the need for ongoing public support. DATE:
October 18, 1993
November 27, 2000
RESOLUTION:
93-501
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