Darlene Naugle faced challenges navigating the small community of Port Bickerton on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore after relocating from Alberta three years ago to care for her ailing daughter. As a retiree without a vehicle, running errands such as grocery shopping was impossible for her.
However, Naugle’s situation improved last October with the launch of Smart-Go, a community transportation system in the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s. This initiative, operated by the St. Mary’s Association for Rural Transit, aims to provide accessible, door-to-door service to the municipality’s 2,300 residents.
Funding from the federal government amounting to $185,000 and an additional $800,000 from the province facilitated the program’s implementation, covering vehicle purchases and fare subsidies for low-income individuals. Riders pay a base fee of $5 plus 75 cents per kilometer, enjoying pick-up from their homes in one of two vans and transportation to various destinations, including Halifax and Antigonish.
Heather Kreffer, the executive director of Smart-Go, highlighted the pressing need for the service in the community, especially among seniors struggling to reach medical appointments. The program has garnered over a dozen regular users, with ridership steadily increasing each month.
Similar services are already operational in other rural areas like East Hants and Victoria County, contributing to the broader goal of enhancing transit systems province-wide, as advocated by Doug Wetmore from It’s More Than Buses, a Halifax-based transit advocacy group. Wetmore emphasized the importance of expanding services like Smart-Go to bolster ridership and pave the way for future growth.
Looking ahead, Wetmore envisions a comprehensive transit network bridging rural and urban areas, connecting regions like St. Mary’s to larger services such as Halifax Transit. This integration is crucial to ensure accessibility and connectivity within communities, fostering a more inclusive and efficient transportation system.
For Naugle, Smart-Go has not only facilitated her engagement with the community but also provided a sense of belonging, with the program’s staff becoming like family to her. She emphasized the necessity for more transit services like Smart-Go to address the needs of isolated individuals and enhance community connectivity.
