‘A POSITIVE STEP’ FOR CITY TRANSIT

Thanks to federal and municipal investment, Saskatoon’s fleet of buses is now 100 per cent accessible, Amanda Short writes.

Saskatoon Transit announced Thursday that the city’s public transit system is now completely accessible.

Through the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF), a joint investment from the federal government and the City of Saskatoon, the city was able to buy accessible low-floor conventional buses and specialized buses with wheelchair lifts for Access Transit.

The purchase of additional specialized buses was made possible through the provincial government’s Transit Assistance for People with Disabilities (TAPD) program.

The conventional buses are all equipped with a kneeling system and some have a ramp that extends. Additional features include wider doors, digital displays for stop locations and requests, a mobility area with flip-up seats, anchors for mobility devices and interior stop announcements. The latest models have external door announcements as well.

“It’s a positive step,” said J.D. Mcnabb, chair of the accessibility advisory committee. “There’s still more to do with increasing the availability of the fleet itself, particularly Access Transit.”

54 Buses purchased for the city’s fleet, 50 of which were purchased by the federal government and the city.

41 Accessible low-floor conventional buses. These can kneel and/ or have a ramp.

9 Specialized buses with wheelchair lifts for Access Transit.

4 Additional Access Transit buses.

$250,000 Increase in capital funding for the TAPD program in this year’s provincial budget, a 45 per cent increase.

$3.8 million TAPD program total for 2019-20.

$12 million Starting in 2018, the amount invested by the each of the federal government and the City of Saskatoon under the PTIF program for 50 buses.

$220,000 Contributed by the TAPD program toward the purchase of four additional specialized buses for Access Transit.

2 Conventional, non-accessible buses left in the city’s fleet to be disposed of. Transit director Jim Macdonald said when buses are no longer usable because of safety requirements, they’re usually put out for scrap.

20%+ People in Saskatchewan who report that they are living with a disability.

139,996 Ridership of the Access service in 2017, according to the Transit Authority’s annual report.

3,423 Registrants for Access service in 2017.

100% Amount of the Saskatoon Transit bus fleet that is accessible.

KAYLE NEIS J.D. Mcnabb tests out his motorized wheelchair on a bus accessibility ramp at TCU Place during Thursday’s announcement by Saskatoon Transit that its fleet of buses is now fully accessible.