Strategic priorities committee endorses transit study recommendations

By Galen Simmons

St. Marys is one step closer to reshaping how public transit operates in town after the municipality’s strategic priorities committee voted Feb. 17 to recommend council endorse the findings of a comprehensive transportation needs assessment.

The joint study, completed by Dillon Consulting for the Town of St. Marys and the Municipality of North Perth, examined existing transit services, community travel patterns and future service options in both municipalities. The final report was delivered in January and presented to the committee last week.

“As a council and as a staff, we lacked the necessary data to make data-driven decisions (on transit) moving forward because we weren’t fully understanding how PC Connect was performing, how it was meeting the needs of people and how other needs might exist out there,” town CAO Brent Kittmer told councillors.

“ … Dillon Consulting came into our community to complete a fairly comprehensive public-engagement program through open houses and surveys to understand the types of transportation people need, the kinds of rides they were asking for, where they wanted to go, as well as complete a review of how PC Connect was functioning and to make any recommendations for any areas where we might see some improvements.”

St. Marys currently participates in the regional PC Connect transit service, which links Stratford, Kitchener-Waterloo and London. While that service has provided important regional connections since its launch in 2020, town staff acknowledged a persistent gap in local, in-town transportation options.

The needs assessment, launched in 2025 with support from the federal Rural Transit Solutions Fund, builds on earlier conversations at council about improving local mobility and ensuring any future service reflects community demand.

According to the report drafted by Dillon Consulting and presented to the committee by transportation engineer Jacob Terry, the recommended approach for St. Marys is to maintain essential regional transit connections while improving local coverage by adjusting existing PC Connect routes. Specifically, the consultants recommend shortening Route 2 so it operates only between Stratford and Kitchener, and modifying Route 3 to travel through more of St. Marys, adding new fixed, in-town stops.

Community engagement played a significant role in shaping those recommendations. More than 200 St. Marys residents participated in an online survey, identifying downtown, the Pyramid Recreation Centre, areas near the hospital and neighbourhoods adjacent to downtown as the most popular internal destinations. Stratford, London and the Waterloo Region were the most frequently cited external destinations.

Respondents indicated the strongest demand for weekday service between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., as well as weekend service, and most expressed a preference for fixed-route transit over on-demand options.

“There really aren’t any (stops) in the north end (of St. Marys),” Coun. Fern Pridham said of the fixed stops proposed in Terry’s report. “I think I read somewhere in this survey that the north end was a heavy contributor in the survey results. So, I’m wondering why, on the north side of the river, there wouldn’t be some stops. And there’s Holy Name School up there as well, and on the map, it doesn’t show the extension of Glass Street and all the homes. So, that service area seems to be not really serviced.”

“We did look at other routings through St. Marys,” Terry responded, “including going up to the old train station. … The challenge is balancing hitting more spots within the town with also maintaining some directness for going through the town. So, if you’re going from Stratford to London, the more we deviate the service in St. Marys, the less appealing it is to people who ride it (from end to end). Also … if you’re taking the route from one end of St. Marys to the other, if we added too many stops, it may be less desirable and less people will take it.”

Kittmer later added the route and its stops within St. Marys have not yet been finalized, something the town will work with its PC Connect partners in Stratford on after applying for support for the new Route 3 through the Ontario Transit Investment Fund (OTIF). Regardless of where the stops will be located, Terry said PC Connect would complete its route through St. Marys twice – to London and from Stratford – every two to three hours between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays, and less frequently on Saturdays, with options for Sunday and holiday service.

Terry said adjusting the existing PC Connect network – rather than launching a separate, standalone local service – would be the most cost-efficient way to expand coverage while preserving connections to larger urban centres. Town staff noted the changes are designed to balance improved access with fiscal responsibility, with St. Marys having budgeted $150,000 in 2026 to support the service along with weighted contributions from its PC Connect partners, gas tax funding and OTIF funding, should the town’s application be approved.

In addition to changes to PC Connect’s Route 3 to better serve St. Marys residents with in-town transit options, Terry also recommended enhancements to St. Marys and Area Mobility Service to serve as an AODA-compliant go-between to help PC Connect riders with mobility issues access bus stops for cross-town and out-of-town travel.

“I like the thought of (expanding) something that’s here, that’s well-utilized in our community that I think struggles with some funding,” Coun. Dave Lucas said. “So, I like the thought of expanding that service.”

If ultimately approved by council, the recommendation would also see the town support a joint application to OTIF alongside Stratford, North Perth and West Perth – the latter of which recently joined the project – to implement the proposed service enhancements.

Council will consider the committee’s recommendation at an upcoming regular meeting.

While councillors supported the recommendations in Terry’s report, Coun. Jim Craigmile noted his concerns with the need for in-town transportation solutions for residents – especially those with mobility issues or those who don’t have access to personal vehicles – in the short term. He discussed the possibility of subsidizing taxi service for residents in need; however no action was taken by the committee.