Jeff Gaye
Cold Lake Transit will have been in operation for 10 years this summer, and is in a good position to continue operating as a free service.
Ridership has steadily increased over the last decade, according to a City of Cold Lake news release.
Current services, routes, ridership trends, grants, and plans for the future were presented to council on April 15 by city staff.
Mayor Craig Copeland says the free bus fare increases ridership, and higher ridership increases grant funding. “A lot of grant funding is based on ridership numbers,” Copeland said. “Because the service remains free for people to use, we continue to see growth in our ridership.”
Cold Lake Transit has been awarded $1,086,030 in federal funding from the Baseline Funding stream of the Canada Public Transit Fund. The city will spread that funding out over the next 10 years to keep the transit system functioning smoothly.
Most of the system’s operating costs are paid from the city’s budget. Copeland said council looked at charging a fare in 2015, and the subject is occasionally raised by residents.
But, he said, introducing a bus fare would probably reduce ridership and result in lower grant funding. And the cost of collecting, counting, and banking the fares would offset any revenue gains.
When the system launched in 2015, the service schedule was simple but slow. Buses left Tri-City Mall at the top of every hour, and took 45 minutes to complete a North or South loop. The remaining 15 minutes each hour was down time.
Buses now run continuously, reaching every stop on the route at 36-minute intervals.
Copeland said the bus service helps to connect the once-separate communities that amalgamated to form the City of Cold Lake. Students, seniors, newcomers, and others who may not have access to a personal vehicle have better access to recreation, shopping and workplaces through public transit.
“In the summertime, it’s great to see kids with their bikes from the South putting their bikes on the bus and getting the ride up to the beach,” he said. “It all seems to be working out.”
Public transit also supports local businesses, according to Copeland.
“Roughly 30 per cent of the taxes in Cold Lake are paid by business, so why not help the business community out by offering this transit system? There’s a business in Grand Centre [Cold Lake South] that has adapted their work schedule based on the transit schedule, so the shifts of their workers coming on duty blend with the transit system, and being able to get the workers back on that last bus at night,” Copeland said.
He acknowledged there are still some gaps in the bus routes, notably the English Bay Road neighbourhoods in the North and Red Fox Estates in the South. Meanwhile the busiest stops are at Walmart, Tri-City Mall, the Energy Centre, and the hospital.
Over the past 10 years the average cost per rider has been approximately $2.00. As of March 31, 2025, Cold Lake Transit has provided service to 1,361,959 riders since starting service in August 2015.
