The City of Delta may expand its Seniors Bus program.
The city’s Mobility and Accessibility Committee recently got a staff update on the potential expansion of the free service, advising that staff had a meeting scheduled with TransLink to discuss a possible expansion and that a follow up would be provided to the advisory committee.
Staff had indicated in a previous meeting of the committee that ridership has increased significantly in the past year.
Launched in 2013, the service now has four buses in operation, each with two wheelchair spaces.
The service operates Monday to Friday mostly in Delta, with limited exceptions to Surrey and the Tsawwassen First Nation. It is a requirement that the rider be able to embark and disembark the bus independently.
With a minimum age requirement of 65, users can book the service in advance and select a desired pick up and drop off location.
Meanwhile, in partnership with LevelUp Planning Collaborative, the city last year began undertaking a community Assessment and Action Plan to better understand the unique needs and challenges of older people in Delta.
The goal was to gather public input to get a better understanding of what older adults and the community feel about the age-friendliness of Delta.
The previous year, Delta received a grant from the BC Healthy Communities: AgeFriendly Community Grants Program to undertake an assessment of the seniors’ demographic and develop an age-friendly strategy/action plan.
According to Delta’s Social Action Plan, the community’s unique geography presents significant challenges to seniors moving around and accessing services.
