Fort Sask Transit

Fort Sask Transit (FST) is a public transit service in the city of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. It operates three routes within the city, and also connects riders with the Edmonton Transit Service (ETS).

Fort Sask Transit

FST park and ride
Parent	City of Fort Saskatchewan
Founded	2014[1]
Headquarters	Public Works Office, 11121 88 Avenue, Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, T8L 2S5
Locale	Fort Saskatchewan[2]
Service area	Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta
Service type	Public Transit
Routes	3[2]
Hubs	2[2]
Fleet	3 buses[3]
Operator	PWTransit Canada[4]
Chief executive	Anthony Dionigi (Transit Supervisor)[5]
Website	Official site

History

Prior to the introduction of a local transit service, ETS operated a commuter route between Fort Saskatchewan and Edmonton's Clareview Transit Centre.[6] The commuter route, numbered 198, was launched in 2004.[7][6] Mid-day service was cancelled in 2005 due to low demand, and the route was only operated during peak hours from then on.[6] Fort Sask Transit was launched as a pilot program on April 26th, 2014.[1] It consisted of two routes, which provided coverage to most of the city's residential and commercial areas.[8] Operation of the buses was contracted out to the local company Fort Taxi and Buslines.[9] The buses were free to ride for their first five days of operation; fares were introduced on May 1, 2014.[1]

The pilot program was deemed a success, and a full transit service was formally introduced in September 2016.[10] The city purchased three new buses, and the contract to operate these city-owned transit buses was given to PWTransit Canada.[8][11] Ridership has increased significantly since FST's full launch; FST reported that more than 7,300 trips were taken on its local routes in October 2018, which represented a 69% increase from the same time-frame in 2017.[5] Students, new residents, and people with limited mobility represented some of the demographics that saw increased usage.[5]

The U-Pass system, which allows students to pay a flat fee in their tuition for access to regional transit services, was expanded to Fort Saskatchewan in September 2017.[12] In May 2018, Fort Saskatchewan opened a new park and ride facility near the Dow Centennial Centre (DCC).[13] The facility has 300 parking stalls and a capacity of 50 people, as well as a heated shelter and bicycle parking.[13] In order to make it more environmentally friendly, solar panels and recycled asphalt were incorporated as well.[13] Fort Saskatchewan also joined the regional smart fare program in May 2018; it will allow riders to pay their fares by tapping cards when boarding and leaving buses, and it will integrate fare payments between the member transit systems to accommodate regional travel.[14] Edmonton, St. Albert, and Strathcona County are among the other communities who will be part of this system.[14] The program was originally due to launch in 2020, but ETS has acknowledged that its release has been delayed to 2021.[15]

In April 2019, Fort Saskatchewan city council approved the purchase of an electric bus for $397,500, with the city contributing $70,000 of the total cost, and the rest of the cost being covered by provincial and federal grants.[16] The purchase is currently under scrutiny by city council due to the cancellation of the Alberta Community Transit Fund, which would have provided the provincial contribution for the purchase.[3] In November 2019, mid-day service was re-instated for the ETS commuter route, which had been re-numbered to 580.[3] The size of the ETS bus serving route 580 was cut back in that same period, with a 30-foot Grande West Vicinity Bus replacing the previously used 40-foot New Flyer bus.[3]

In March 2020, Fort Saskatchewan city council voted to join with twelve other municipalities to investigate the potential for a regional transit services commission (RTSC).[17] Its membership in the potential commission was subject to another vote once its cost model was altered to reflect Strathcona County's decision to opt out.[17] The potential commission would allow for weekend transit service in Fort Saskatchewan, and add bus services to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), and West Edmonton Mall.[17] In June 2020, Fort Saskatchewan and eight other regional municipalities, including Edmonton, Leduc, Spruce Grove, and St. Albert, formally submitted an application to the provincial government to establish the RTSC.[18] If the application is successful, Fort Saskatchewan's membership in the potential commission will increase the city's annual transit costs by $70,000.[18] An interim board of elected representatives from each member community will soon meet to begin the initial work of the potential commission, including hiring a Chief Executive Officer.[18] If it is approved by the provincial government, the potential commission could start official operations in 2022 at the earliest.[18] Because Strathcona County opted out of the potential commission, Fort Saskatchewan plans to conduct separate talks with the county to try and establish a route between the city, and the county's Bethel Transit Centre.[18]

Routes

An ETS bus on its way to Fort Saskatchewan

Route	Route Name	Route Details	Notes
582	Blue Route	Travels in a counter-clockwise loop through Fort Saskatchewan	Route 582 does not go through the downtown core[2]
583	Red Route	Travels in a clockwise loop through Fort Saskatchewan	Route 583 does not go through the Westpark neighbourhood[2]
584	Green Route	Provides seniors with semi-weekly access to medical services and commercial centres	Route 584 only operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 to 14:00.[2]

FST operates two daily routes, and one semi-weekly route.[2] The two daily routes, 582 (the "Blue Route"), and 583 (the "Red Route"), mostly traverse the same parts of the city, but go in opposite directions.[2] The two routes diverge at the east and west ends of the city, with the Westpark neighbourhood being served mostly by route 582, and the downtown core conversely being served mainly by route 583.[2] FST's semi-weekly route, 584 (the "Green Route"), is targeted towards the city's senior population.[19] It provides access to assisted-living facilities, doctors offices, commercial centres, and other amenities required by its riders.[2]

Routes 582 and 583 normally operate Monday-Friday, but Saturday service is being temporarily offered to aid physical distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic.[20] Due to its specialized nature, route 584 only runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays.[2] To help facilitate regional travel, ETS is contracted by Fort Saskatchewan to operate route 580, which provides peak-hour service between Fort Saskatchewan and the Clareview Transit Centre in Edmonton.[2] All three local routes, as well as route 580, converge at the FST park and ride, and at the North Transfer Station on 99th Ave.[2]

Special Transportation Services Society

The Special Transportation Services Society (STSS) is a volunteer service operated by the Fort Saskatchewan Lions Club, which offers accessible minivan services for people who use walkers, wheelchairs, mobility scooters, or are otherwise unable to access regular transit services due to a physical disability.[21] People who use this service must register in advance, and bring a companion who can look after them during the trip.[21] The group offers service to anywhere within Fort Saskatchewan for $5 per one-way trip.[21] They also offer rides to medical services in select neighbouring communities, but the cost of the trip is dependent on the distance traveled.[21] Local service operates Monday-Friday, while out-of-town service is only available from Tuesday-Thursday.[21]

Facilities

PWTransit Bus Garage

Address: #105 – 11129 83 Avenue, Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta T8L 3T9

Coordinates: 53°42′07.2″N 113°11′11.6″W

Functions: Storage and maintenance facility for buses; no transit services are provided from this location.

DCC Park and Ride

Address: Fort Saskatchewan, AB T8L 0G7

Coordinates: 53°40′56.8″N 113°14′14.2″W

Amenities: Park and ride, heated shelter, bicycle parking

North Transfer Station

Address: 95 Street & 99 Avenue, Fort Saskatchewan, AB

Coordinates: 53°42′15.7″N 113°13′22.5″W

Amenities: Heated shelters

Fleet

Fort Sask Transit Fleet (September 2016)
Manufacturer	Model	Accessible	Year	Quantity	Fleet Nos.	Notes
Arboc	Spirit of Mobility (GM Chassis)	*	2016	3	282-284	[6]

*Companions of passengers with mobility aids and equipment may ride for free.[2]

Route 580 is served by a 30-foot Grande West Vicinity Bus, which is owned and operated by ETS, and fully accessible.[6][2]

See also

Edmonton Transit Service

Leduc Transit

St. Albert Transit

Strathcona County Transit

References

1. "What you need to know about the Fort's new transit system". FortSaskOnline.com. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
2. "Transit". City of Fort Saskatchewan. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
3. "Fort Transit — funding cut, services increase". Fort Saskatchewan Record. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
4. "Contact PWTransit Canada". Retrieved May 18, 2020.
5. Morey, Lindsay. "Local ridership continues to surge". Fort Saskatchewan Record. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
6. Dionigi, Anthony (2018). Transit Review. City of Fort Saskatchewan.
7. "Fort Saskatchewan Transit". www.barp.ca. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
8. "Improved transit routes September 6". FortSaskOnline.com. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
9. "Fort Saskatchewan Transit". www.barp.ca. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
10. Myroon, Alex. "Fort Transit has busiest ever month". FortSaskOnline.com. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
11. "Contact PWTransit Canada". Retrieved May 18, 2020.
12. England, Haley. "U-Pass in full swing for the Fort". FortSaskOnline.com. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
13. Delong, Leanne. "New Park and Ride officially opens for riders". FortSaskOnline.com. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
14. England, Luke. "Fort Saskatchewan joining Smart Fare program". FortSaskOnline.com. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
15. Dubois, Stephanie (Jan 27, 2020). "Smart fare rollout for Edmonton transit delayed until 2021". CBC News. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
16. "Council approves the purchase of electric bus". Fort Saskatchewan Record. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
17. Philpott, Emma. "Fort Saskatchewan says 'yes' to Regional Transit Services Commission". FortSaskOnline.com. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
18. Stolz, Hannah. "Regional Transit Services Commission reaches major milestone". FortSaskOnline.com. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
19. Janzen, Cody. "Seniors' transit route starting in March". FortSaskOnline.com. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
20. Stolz, Hannah. "Fort Saskatchewan transit adding Saturday service". FortSaskOnline.com. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
21. "Special Transportation Service Society". Fort Saskatchewan Lions Club. Retrieved 2020-05-17.