Non-profit transit group plans to launch Manitoulin to Sudbury route

United Manitoulin Islands Transit (UMIT), which bills itself as a cross-cultural transit co-operative, is preparing to expand its service, including a new weekly day trip to Sudbury and on-demand transit in a test market on Manitoulin.

UMIT put its bus on the road for the first time on July 20, 2020. It uses a small vehicle with room for 14 passengers and two wheelchairs.

Joahnna Berti is UMIT's executive director. She says transportation needs in rural communities are unique, both in terms of the wide catchment area and older population, as seen on Manitoulin.

"The winter driving and the night driving becomes progressively less attractive to people, and the safety then becomes an issue, of making sure that people can meet their basic needs," says Berti.

One of the most-requested services since UMIT's inception, she says, has been a Sudbury link. This Saturday, Nov. 13, is slated to be the inaugural run of a weekly day trip between Gore Bay and Sudbury.

The Sudbury run carries a $90 fare for a return trip; a price that would let UMIT break even if six or more passengers use the service. Direct cab fares for a similar trip can approach $200.

Berti says it is too early to tell what interest levels will be like in this new route, or whether Sudbury's recent return to COVID-19 restrictions would have much of an impact on the service.

"We haven't had a service like this for a very, very long time, so I don't know how people are going to respond to it. I'm hoping positively, because I've had enough requests to indicate that it should be quite positive," Berti says. 

She says UMIT's board will gather feedback on the route and adjust services as needed. If a weekday trip would be better than Saturdays, for example, the co-op would consider changing the days it travels.

The low population density on Manitoulin Island makes running effective, efficient transit difficult. To combat this challenge, UMIT has partnered with Blaise Transit, a technology startup that facilitates on-demand service and route enhancement via artificial intelligence.

It has tried this once already in Wiikwemkoong, but connectivity issues brought an end to the pilot project. UMIT is now exploring on-demand service toward the west end of Manitoulin in communities like Gore Bay and Kagawong.

Berti says UMIT's long-term goal is to use an all-electric fleet of on-demand vehicles to reduce costs and create a more sustainable transit model.

Despite its limited service area on its initial on-island route, UMIT users tend to be dedicated to the service.

UMIT's main Manitoulin bus route has become a "staple" for Ethan Leblanc, a Grade 11 student at Manitoulin Secondary School. The 16-year-old lives in Manitowaning but commutes to a part-time job in Little Current. At times when he can't get a ride, he works with his employer to get shifts that align with the bus schedule.