A new shuttle service designed to alleviate congestion in Jasper’s downtown core and offer convenient transportation to and from Jasper’s campgrounds and high-use areas is up and running as of today (July 15).
Jasper Municipal Council approved the use of its COVID relief reserve to fund a pilot project at its July 6 regular council meeting.
SunDog Transportation and Tour Company’s Paul Hardy proposed the three-way partnership between his business, the MOJ and Tourism Jasper a month ago. He said the July 14 re-opening of Whistlers Campground, this summer’s preponderance of regional visitors driving their own vehicle (as opposed to international guests arriving on a charter bus or train) and the recent proliferation of on-street patios made the proposal for a transportation solution urgent.
“I think most people agree that the patios are nice and it’s added to the ambiance,” Hardy said. “But there’s been a significant infrastructure cost.”
The advent of paid parking also factored into Hardy’s decision to bring his proposal to council. Although he said he would have like a bit more runway before launching the service, Hardy said recent conversations with colleagues and fellow business owners convinced him that Jasper needed an affordable, efficient way for visitors to move from campgrounds to the Commercial Business District and other popular day-use areas.
“This is a timely issue that needs a timely response,” Hardy said.
Council agreed. At the July 6 meeting, council approved a maximum of up to $24,000 from the COVID Relief Reserve to support a public transportation service pilot project. To quell any concerns Jasperites might have about the municipal government financing the scheme, councillor Paul Butler requested clarity from administration about the pilot’s funding structure.
CAO Bill Given said the proposal has been created to be self-supporting, and potentially even garner a profit. But in light of the unpredictability of user demand, the town is backstopping the pilot in the event the service “fails spectacularly.” In other words, the money will only be spent if the project does not break even.
“This is not cash that the municipality would put up front to the operator,” Given replied. “This is money council would be approving administration to have available to support the service on receipt and review of the financial statements of the operation.”
Butler was happy with the explaination and made the motion that council approve a maximum of $24,000 from the COVID Reserve to support a transportation pilot project for the summer of 2021. The motion was carried unanimously, and although Mayor Richard Ireland voiced his concern that Parks Canada’s Request For Proposals process could stifle entrepreneurship, he too was supportive of the motion and pleased that SunDog won the bid.
“I for one will continue to question, hopefully at the next intergovernmental meeting that we have, the necessity for an RFP,” he said. “If somebody comes up with a really good idea I think it can be evaluated independently…without going out to the world at large to say ‘well look at this good idea, could you do it better?’”
Hardy, for his part, believes that had private enterprise not got involved, the municipality would have had to take a hard look at creating a similar service itself.
“We’re a tourism community, anything that enhances the visitor experience and improves the infrastructure situation is going to be good for locals and visitors,” Hardy said.
SunDog’s 40-seat passenger shuttles will offer eight pick up/drop off times daily from Whistlers and Wapiti campgrounds and downtown, from 8:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m., with extensions to Jasper Park Lodge and Lake Annette as demand presents.
The cost to passengers will be $5, round-trip, payable via mobile.
Bob Covey //thejasperlocal@gmail.com
