Next stop for ETS could be partnership with ride-hailing companies like Uber

It's 6 p.m. You've finished work, you're starving for dinner, it wasstanding-room only on the bus ride homeand now you've got a 20-minute walk to your house.

Are those 20minutes too much? Would they dissuade you from taking the bus? What if a cab whisked you home from that stop, as an "add-on" to the regular transit system that almost got you home?

Thatidea has been adopted in a handful of American municipalities,and is being contemplated by Edmonton in an ambitious transit plan that goes to city hall on Wednesday.

It proposes that the city look intopartnerships with vehicle-for-hire companies to get transit-takers that "last mile" home, or farther, if needed.

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"This is an important piece forus inkeeping up with trends in technology andtrends in the transportationindustry," said Sarah Feldman, general supervisor of city-wide strategy.

"We see other cities inCanada investigating these ideas. And to be a modern municipality, we have to keep up with these trends and have our eyes open to them."

Feldmanled the group that worked for two years on a sweeping new transit strategy that will be presented to the urban planning committee.

The strategy suggests everything from more frequent buses on major corridors, to better walking paths and improved bus shelters, to more direct service to major destinations in suburban areas.

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It also highlights the need for tradeoffs, especially onlow-ridership routes in the outer areas of the city.That's where riders might get limited service orhave to walk farther to get a bus.

One tradeoff would be better, faster, more reliable buses when those riders hit a major thoroughfare.

And to help make up for that tradeoff, the report suggests "exploring options withprivate sector transportation servicesto provide new mobility choices in areas with low demand."

Blending private and public

Edmonton is not the first Canadian municipality to consider partnering with vehicle-for-hire companies to supplement a traditional public transit system. In Innisfil, Ont., the entiretransit strategy is powered by Uber.

The sprawling town of 37,000 people located about an hour north of Toronto has never had a public transit system. The town did a feasibility study that found it would have cost $600,000 to start up a single route through town.

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"It would just be a big expense and not the entire population would be able to access that service," said Paul Pentikainen, the senior policy planner in Innisfil.

Innisfail decided to try a pilot partnership with Uberat a cost of $100,000. Passengers pay a "standard fare"to get to several fixed locations in town, while the town covers the difference in the total cost of the ride.

The town provides a five-dollar subsidy for rides to other locations.

It would just be a big expense and not the entire population would be able to access that service- Paul Pentikainen, Innsifil policy planner

The program started in May and is so far on budget.

Pentikainen argues that data collected from Uber rideswill give the town a better idea of ridership patterns and what services might best benefit residents in the future.

But he's not promising the start of a full public transportation model in Innisfil.

"Alot of people are looking at the potential to look at transit in a different way, and to think of different ways there might be to not just overthrow the existing bus networks ... but how do we look at alternative ways to add to the efficiency of existing system?"

'Slippery slope'

The idea of integrating "shared mobility" services, such as Uber or other specialized transportation companies, into the public transit system raises red flags for many.

Unions are concerned the strategy could cost jobs for bus drivers. Others argue such arrangements will be used to justify poor public transit services which will decrease ridership even more, and serve as justification to slash routes further.

"I can see no good reason for us to be giving public taxpayer dollars to do the same services that public transit used to do," said Duncan Kinney, executive director of Progress Alberta, a progressive advocacy group based in Edmonton.

"This is a slippery slope where if these types of arrangements become popular, it's an existential threat to public transit as a concept. If it's cheaper and easier to give money to Uberto do public transit, why even have buses in the first place?"

While the city hasn't specifically pointed to Uberas a possible partner, Kinneynotes it is by the most visible company that has the most experience with these arrangements.

He objects to the unstable salaries for drivers and the company'scorporate culture, whichincluded aggressive tactics in cities that opposed the serviceand claims of sexual harassment in its offices, that preceded the recent resignation of the CEO.

Kinney points out that therealternatives for low ridership routes. InSt. Albert, there's a dial-a-bus service where riders can call for a bus during off-peak, evening hours. The bus follows a fixed route and runs about every 45 minutes if there's demand.

Kevin Bamber, director of transit in St. Albert, said dial-a-bus allows the city to provide service even during off-peak hours, without the cost of a full bus route.

In the same way, even ride-hailingcompanies like Lyftand Uberpromoteride-sharing with other passengers in order to lower fares and keep cars moving.

Kinney says ridership problems will ultimately be solved with better service.

"How do you get more people onto a bus? It's not by cutting their service. You have to provide better service. You have to make it easier and better for you to get on public transit than it is for you to get into a car and drive around."