Community
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Bamberton Internal Transit

INTERNAL MINIBUSES

(1) What is the purpose of having an internal minibus/transit service ?

• To minimize the frequency of cars on neighbourhood streets by providing an alternative means of getting around from one neighbourhood to another. (Residents consideration)

• To strengthen the argument for narrow streets, in terms of reduced vehicle use (MoTH consideration)

• To provide a Bamberton feature "trade mark" - the experience of travelling on the Bamberton Bus being something visitors & residents remember, love, and talk about. (Sales/marketing consideration)

• To demonstrate the commitment to sustainability re energy-use, reduced traffic, & full mobility

• (Livability/Sustainability/Environmental Assessment consideration/reduced CO2 + ecological footprint)

• Reduced ownership of second car (Sales consideration)

(2) What community needs should the ideal service meet ?

•'Jitney' pick-up service

• Connection village to village, & to Town Centre

• Connection to Mill Bay/ Duncan

• Shopping & commercial goods delivery service

• Bicycle trailer service

• Informal message, drop-off & "what's going on" service

• Tourist & visitor service

• Sales/Promotion Bus - Tour Guide

(3) Ownership & financing possibilities

(a) Community ownership & operation, managed through the Community Utility, or a non-profit Bamberton Transportation Society. (Shares = yearly pass for residents)

(b) Private ownership and operation as a business. (c) Other

- How to raise & repay the capital to purchase & fit out the first bus ?

(4) Initiation & management possibilities

(a) South Island gives a written to commitment research, develop, and get the most appropriate service going through one of the above, and underwrites the service financially for first 5 years (recouped through development cost charges), as an essential community service.

(b) SIDC researches, and prepares terms and conditions for an appropriate system, and then offers it on 1 year renewable license to an operator (private or community), with or without financial underwriting.

(5) Street & Neighbourhood Design Considerations

- What is the MoTH argument about Bamberton not being transit-friendly ?

- Neighbourhood centre & Town Centre bus stop arrangements

- En-route bus stop/jitney arrangements

(6) Practicalities

- Optimum size of bus

- Most practical bus-routes through the neighbourhoods

- Pedestrian distance from houses to the bus route; % of households within 5" walk of a bus stop

- Optimum number of bus-stops to facilitate travel time + pick-up convenience

- Phasing. Logistics of running the service 10 years on, with 6,000 residents. Bus depot ?

PARK & RIDE FACILITY

- The merits of establishing a park & ride facility for visitors

- Reduces the trail of cars through the town, and to the town centre

- Reinforces the message that Bamberton is "something special, something different"

- Reduces parking space requirements at Neighbourhood Centres &Town Centre

- Optimum location

- Operating, security & financial procedures

GOLF CARTS

- Can we locate a local cart for hill & distance trials at Bamberton ?

- How will they integrate with cars, & neighbourhood centre parking arrangements ?

- If they are feasible, how can we facilitate their supply and sale ?

- Rental/lease/community purchase ?

- Will too many carts undermine the critical mass needed for internal transit ?

- Electric bikes (Eric Neilsen, Canada franchise holder)

Guy Dauncey, November 25th 1994