Summary#

The Urban Planning Committee carried two motions on September 29, 2026, directing City staff to report on transit gaps and start a two-year On Demand Transit pilot. The stated goal in the staff report is to improve transit access, including for seniors.

• City staff must report by the second quarter of 2027 on residential areas with limited or no conventional transit that are not served by On Demand Transit. The report must consider walking distances, service frequency and hours, and options, timelines and opportunities for expansion.
• City staff must start a two-year pilot in spring 2027, adding local destinations to the three existing seniors’ On Demand Transit zones.
• City staff must implement fare collection on all On Demand Transit vehicles.
• The staff report identifies up to four possible added destinations in each seniors’ zone, but the motion does not name or set a limit on the destinations to be added.

What it means for you#

• Seniors using the three On Demand Transit zones: The pilot is intended to add local destinations, which may reduce the need to travel to a transit hub and transfer. The staff report names possible destinations in Jasper Place, Capilano and Downtown-Wihkwentowin; the final stops are not specified in the motion.
• On Demand Transit riders: Fares are to be collected on all On Demand Transit vehicles. The motion does not change fare amounts. The staff report says onboard payment would mean riders no longer need to pay at a transit hub.
• People in areas with limited or no transit: City staff must identify gaps and report on options. The decision does not itself add service to those areas.
• Other riders and the public: The decision does not change fixed-route service or create a new transit service beyond the seniors’ pilot.

Money#

The staff report estimates a one-time $100,000 capital cost for fare equipment; it gives no total cost for the pilot.

• City staff say the added seniors’ destinations can fit within the existing ETS operating budget, but only after three On Demand Transit neighbourhoods switch to fixed-route service in April 2027.
• The report says fare collection has no added operating-budget cost; ongoing maintenance would be covered by the existing operating agreement.
• The report does not estimate the cost of carrying out the transit-gap report.

What is unclear#

• Which destinations will be added, and what service hours or other operating details will apply during the pilot.
• How fares will be collected, including how cash fares will be handled. The staff report says cash procedures would need to be established.
• Whether the pilot will be formally evaluated, and what measures will determine its results. The staff report describes an evaluation, but the carried motion does not set out its requirements.
• What action, if any, will follow the gap report, or whether any expansion will receive funding.

Case for#

• City staff say some seniors need local trips and that travelling to a hub and transferring can be inconvenient or require backtracking. Adding local destinations may make those trips more direct.
• The pilot is limited to three existing seniors’ zones, where staff say extra destinations can be added without major conflicts with the transit network design.
• Collecting fares onboard would align On Demand Transit with conventional service and remove the need to pay at the hub.

Case against#

• City staff warn that extra stops can make On Demand Transit less efficient and may duplicate conventional transit service.
• Staff say the pilot fits within the current operating budget only after three neighbourhoods convert to fixed-route service. If that condition is not met, the report does not explain how the pilot would be funded.
• The decision requires fare collection across the On Demand Transit network, but the fare-handling process—especially for cash—is not yet set out in the supplied material.