EMBRUN — Russell Township council spent part of its Sept. 14 meeting defining the questions a transit feasibility study should answer.
Staff said the consultant is now preparing recommendations for council, expected in December or, if necessary, January.
Jonathan Bourgon, the Township’s executive director of planning and infrastructure services, said 745 people responded to the summer survey. He said that was in addition to workshops and feedback gathered from community groups and businesses across Prescott-Russell.
The strategic discussion centred on local access: how residents without a vehicle could reach groceries, medical appointments, recreation, libraries, municipal services and jobs within the Township. Council members also raised affordability, youth employment, accessibility and possible partnerships with employers or regional networks.
For Coun. Lisa Deacon, the question has a household-cost dimension. “I would be a transit user. My family would use the transit, happy to pay whatever it costs because we know just how much more expensive a second vehicle would be to our family,” she said.
The discussion paper before council does not recommend a traditional fixed-route urban system. It asks council to consider targeted and flexible possibilities, including on-demand service, a shuttle, scheduled service on selected days, connections to existing transit and employer-supported models.
Coun. Charles Armstrong said council will have to weigh residents’ needs against the property-tax contribution that a useful service would require. Coun. Marc Lalonde pointed to young people trying to reach entry-level work in the industrial park and commercial areas.
The study’s next stage is to assess local need, possible models, partners and cost before council decides whether to pursue a service.