Affordable public transportation in Portage la Prairie

With a population of 12,949, Portage la Prairie is the fourth largest city in Manitoba. The rural municipality includes 16 additional communities and two Indigenous communities within its boundaries. The current options for those who must rely on public transportation to get around the city are severely limited. The shuttle system is inadequate and the lack of reliable public transportation poses significant problems.

The proposed study aims to identify possible methods of providing affordable public transit in the community. It will explore the costs and benefits of different options and then develop a business case to justify the preferred transit service and technology solutions.

Potential regional service or deployment strategies will also be explored as part of the feasibility study. Possible service options include traditional buses, ridesharing and on-demand transportation. The potential ridership includes lower-income citizens, new immigrants, students and senior citizens.

The study aims to provide alternatives to single occupancy vehicle use for transportation (91% of the city’s population currently travel in personal vehicles). The environmental outcomes that the city hopes to achieve include the following: a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through lowering the number of total vehicle trips made within the community; transitioning choice/captive riders from passenger vehicles to transit; and increasing fuel efficiency with alternatively-fueled vehicles, such as electric, hydrogen and compressed natural gas.

This project is linked to several of the city’s planning initiatives, such as the updated Portage la Prairie Planning District Development Plan, the Portage la Prairie 15-Year Community Sustainability Plan, and the 2019 Climate Change Action Plan.

Innovative aspect(s):

Compared to other communities of similar size, Portage la Prairie has been relatively progressive in its efforts for community sustainability planning and in its approach to the public transportation feasibility study. The study will investigate different types of service delivery modes as well as alternative fuel sources.

Replicability:

The findings of this study will be useful for members within the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie and other municipalities (members of Winnipeg Metro Region) who are considering implementing transit services in their communities.