Handibus service into Edmonton should be available to registered users by early November.
The city’s three new handibuses, purchased at a cost of about $165,000 each, could be spotted outside St. Albert Place briefly Monday. The new buses will replace the three current handibuses. Expanded service into Edmonton is also planned.
Transit director Bob McDonald said a “soft-launch” in October will see the new Edmonton routes tested before a full launch, which is expected in early November.
“We need to test some of the things we’ve planned,” McDonald said.
The new buses have more capacity, a new look and low floors and a ramp. McDonald said the old handibuses have high floors and a lift, and the new low floors are expected to speed things up a bit, though they won’t know for sure until it’s been tested.
“We’re anticipating it’s going to be quicker,” McDonald said.
The testing period will look at things like where the best stops are at the new destinations, how long the stops take, how many people can be accommodated and how long it takes to get the riders from inside the bus to inside the doors of their destinations.
A number of frequent riders are being tapped for the testing periods, McDonald said.
Edmonton destinations to be served by the St. Albert Handibus include medical, educational and recreational stops, like Kingsway Mall or MacEwan University or Glenrose Hospital.
The old buses will be put out to auction, McDonald said.
The program was approved as part of the 2013 budget. McDonald said the cost of the buses themselves came in under the estimated budget, and the operating cost of extending routes to Edmonton was approved at $104,800, which includes the hiring of a handibus co-ordinator.
