Public transportation is vital to a number of Elliot Lake residents and according to Jane Hull, a regular public transit user, services are lacking when it comes to scheduling.
As it stands, the Esten and Lakeside routes run from 7 a.m until 6 p.m Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. on Thursdays and Fridays, the last run leaves the Pearson Plaza at 9 p.m. The Westhill and Central routes operate from 7:30 a.m until 5:30 p.m Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Their last run on Thursdays and Fridays leaves the Pearson Plaza at 8:30 p.m.
There is currently no Sunday service and Hull explains that makes her feel stranded in town.
"When you drive, you don't realize how important the bus service really is," she explained. "There's nothing on Sundays. I feel completely stranded. For a town that's for retirees, they should keep this service up. People wonder why no one goes to church on Sundays. They need to either walk, take a cab, or have someone bring them. Cabs are expensive."
Growing up in Levack, Ont., Hull moved to Toronto to work as a caretaker for the Toronto District School Board. There, she said, bus services were 24/7, which made it easier to get to where people needed to go. After moving to Elliot Lake in October of last year, Hull noticed that city transit services were in need of improvements, as well as the Greyhound services for Elliot Lake residents.
"It feels like at 6 p.m, the city shuts down," she said. "There are restaurants still open, the pool is open, the gym is open and the curling club is open. I tried to join the curling club but I can't because the buses stop at 6 p.m. I don't know how the town can do that."
Not only do city transit services concern Hull, she also said Greyhound service to and from Elliot Lake is in need of improvement.
"People have medical appointments in Toronto, Sudbury, and who knows where else," she explained. "The Greyhound service is once a day and it doesn't even come here. Most of the time, the bus is packed. How is that fair? The bus doesn't even come here. It goes to Blind River. It's like we're tossed to the side."
The transit services has been a topic of conversation for members of city council. According to Mayor Dan Marchisella, the topic will once again return to the table.
"Transit review is underway," he explained. "It should be coming to council soon."
But still, according to Hull, this doesn't help the residents who need to get to and from important appointments, both in town and elsewhere.
"When they cut these services, they cut down on people doing their everyday lives. Retired people are very needy people. What if I needed to go to the hospital? The cab is so expensive. But for those working after 6 p.m, how do they get home after work if they don't drive? The city is dying because there's no services."
ElliotLakeToday went around the city to see whether there were enough bus stops at popular and important places in the city. What we found was no bus stop on Ontario Avenue after Shoppers Drug Mart, no bus stop near Mount Dufour, and no bus stop near the White Mountain building. This has lead to many questions and concerns for Hull.
"You can't enjoy yourself here," she explained. "You can't do anything. You have to do everything during the day. At night, it can become unsafe for people to walk home. I'm trying to enjoy my retirement but I can't."
So far, trips to Sudbury for shopping are happening once a month through AJ Bus Lines. This, according to Hull, is a start to get people out of the city for items they cannot find in Elliot Lake.
"These trips are monthly and helps people get out," she said. "For a retirement town, there's nothing to do so this is a start."
For more information concerning city transit stops and times, visit www.cityofelliotlake.com.