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Seniors Stranded as Lethbridge Transit Falters
19 Dec
Summary
- Access-A-Ride faces unpredictability, impacting seniors' social participation.
- Service cuts due to budget deficits jeopardize essential medical appointments.
- A new advisory committee aims to improve transit user feedback by January 2026.
The Access-A-Ride door-to-door transit service in Lethbridge, essential for seniors and individuals with mobility challenges, is experiencing significant reliability issues. Users like Gordon Vaselenak report that the service's unpredictability profoundly affects their ability to participate in community activities at the Nord Bridge Seniors Centre, leaving them feeling isolated and distressed. This uncertainty also poses risks to attending time-sensitive medical appointments.
The service, funded largely by the city with a budget of $3.5 to $4 million annually, faces resource constraints against high demand. While transit staff reported improvements and added a weekday shift in 2024, this shift was later removed due to a $300,000 budget deficit. Transportation and transit manager Darwin Juell noted "too much need and not enough resources."
In response, the city plans to establish the Transit Administrative Advisory Committee (TAAC) in January 2026. This committee will comprise 20 community stakeholders, including seniors' organizations, to provide feedback on transit decisions. Diane Smith, interim president of the Nord Bridge Seniors Centre, urges consideration for the human impact beyond computer processes.
