Q: Could there be an earlier trip added to the afternoon schedule? Then people could come back to Fort Saskatchewan earlier and not have to wait so long in Edmonton.
A: Based on some comments we had received, we actually added an earlier time to our afternoon schedule on a trial basis. While a few people did use it, it would have been highly subsidized and made no good economic sense so we had to cancel it. At this time, demand has not changed substantially enough to put it into place on a permanent basis.
Q: Why does the U-Pass not apply to Route 198?
A. The municipalities that participate in the U-Pass program provide their own service and have reciprocal use agreements with each other. The City of Fort Saskatchewan purchases a transit service for commuters from the City of Edmonton and does not own any assets that provide reciprocal service. We do offer a discounted pass ($90 per month) to get from Fort Saskatchewan to the Clareview LRT Station.
Q. How popular is the Commuter Transit Program?
A: The service has been a welcome addition to the list of Fort Saskatchewan’s amenities and it is very well utilized. Depending on the weather, month, gas prices, etc. the popularity of the service has greatly exceeded expectations. Like any new program, it took some time to develop, but thanks in large part to the feedback of the riders themselves; we have a service that is doing very well.
Q: How were the existing routes, times and bus stop locations determined?
A: By working with Edmonton Transit System (ETS) and through public input and feedback, decisions were made regarding routes, bus stop locations, etc. We also consulted other communities that have transit service including St. Albert and Strathcona County. ETS and the City of Fort Saskatchewan conduct regular route monitoring that also tracks the number of riders. We have also conducted different surveys with riders to obtain their feedback. Many Fort Saskatchewan residents who don’t use the service were also consulted about having bus stops near their homes. In all cases, we have tried our best to design a service that works well for a majority of users and non-users—keeping in mind the service is subsidized by the taxpayers of Fort Saskatchewan.
Q: I acknowledge transit service is subsidized by the taxpayer, but by how much?
A: Right now the transit service is subsidized at the rate of approximately 65%, depending on the month and usage. That means the actual users of the transit service only pay 35% of what it actually costs to run the service. We don’t think it would be fair to a very large majority of the taxpayers who don’t use the service to pay any more than they already do to have a transit service. Transit is one of those amenities in a community where everyone pays but really, only a small percentage of the population uses the amenity.
Q: I’m interested in taking the bus but I’m not sure if it would be cheaper than using my car which is small and good on gas. Have you done a cost comparison between using transit and your own transportation?
A: The Canadian Automotive Association publishes an annual “Driving Costs” document (www.caa.ca) that can help you calculate your own cost of driving. Based on a Chevrolet Cobalt LTZ, driving 24,000km/year, the Canadian Automotive Association estimates the cost of driving is 43 cents/km. If you are driving to downtown Edmonton (approximately 80km round trip) on a daily basis, the estimated cost of driving is $34/day. This includes all costs of operating (gas, service repairs, tires, etc.) and ownership (insurance, licensing, registration, etc.) The operating costs alone are 13 cents/km or $10.40 for a round-trip to downtown Edmonton. All costs do not include downtown parking which can range from approximately $5.00 - $25.00/day.
Q: Where can I buy transit product?
A: We’re pleased to offer several different locations to purchase transit product.
- City Hall (10005 - 102 Street)
- Dow Centennial Centre (Corner of Highway 21 and 84 Street)
- Sobeys (10004 - 99 Avenue)
- Safeway (Cornerstone Shopping Centre - Highway 21/15)
Q: Where can I get a bus schedule?
A: Getting a schedule is easy. You’ll find one here on our website (above) or you can pick one up at any City of Fort Saskatchewan owned facility. You can also get more information from the Edmonton Transit System website at www.takeets.com.
Q: Who do I talk to if I have a complaint about the bus being late or the cleanliness of the bus?
A: Should you have any concerns about the bus itself, the driver or the bus being late or early, please contact Edmonton Transit directly through email at
etransit@edmonton.ca or by phone at 780.442.5311. If you have any concerns about the cost of the service, routes, schedule, park and ride, etc. please contact the City of Fort Saskatchewan by email at
info@fortsask.ca or at 780.992.6248.
Q: Why are Strathcona County and St. Albert’s bus fares so much lower?
A: Both Strathcona County and St. Albert operate a full service transit system with their own equipment and both jurisdictions have reciprocal use agreements with ETS so they provide service in Edmonton as well. Fort Saskatchewan’s service is a commuter service only where we actually purchase the service from ETS. When you compare apples to apples, our fares are actually quite low.
Q: Why are the routes and times the way they are? It is difficult for me to take the bus anywhere in Fort Saskatchewan.
A: Our transit service is a “Commuter Service.” The demand from the public over the years was for such a service. A majority of residents have been telling us for several years that they wanted a bus service to take them to and from Edmonton but did not request an in-city service to any degree. The demand simply isn’t there yet to offer a full in-city service that would also be very expensive for a city of approximately 17,000 residents. In fact, we’re not aware of another city of our size in Western Canada that offers a regular in-city transit service.
Q: Why does the bus start its route on the east side of the City in the morning before leaving for Edmonton and end on the east side in the afternoon when arriving in Fort Saskatchewan? This means people living on the east side are on the bus longer.
A: We’ve tried extremely hard to make this service the best we could for a majority of our customers. “On Bus Surveys” prove that a large majority of our riders live on the west side of Fort Saskatchewan. It just makes sense to us that we should try to make the ride as short as possible for the majority of our users, including the people that use our Park and Ride at the Dow Centennial Centre—a stop that is incorporated into our western Fort Saskatchewan route.
Q: Why is there no service offered on weekends?
A: As is the case with much of the service we now offer, many of our decisions have to be based on demand in order for us to even be able to afford to run a transit service. As explained earlier, the requests over the years have been for a service that provides primarily work commuters and post-secondary education students, transportation to and from Edmonton—Monday to Friday. We have had very few requests for weekend service, so to this point, there has been little indication it would be well used on weekends. It would be very difficult to determine routes times, for example, because ridership is intermittent and costly.