COLD LAKE - The City of Cold Lake’s public transit system has surpassed 1.3 million rides since its inception in 2015, and during the City’s April 15 Corporate Priorities Committee meeting, administration presented a detailed overview of the service’s evolution, achievements, and what lies ahead.
Rezaur Bhuiyan, engineering manager with Infrastructure Services for the City of Cold Lake, delivered a comprehensive Transit Service Information Report to council, updating them on the Cold Lake Transit (CLT) system, its ridership trends, financials, and future priorities.
“In this report we'll have the background of how we started our transit system and then how we evolved and what are the routes we use and what are the trends we have so far in terms of ridership,” Bhuiyan told council.
Cold Lake Transit was launched on Aug. 26, 2015, with six accessible, used buses purchased from the City of Calgary. According to Bhuiyan, the system began with second-hand Motor Coach Industries (MCI) buses and has since operated as a full-service, accessible transit system.
CLT operates as a free, accessible service that requires no registration or fare. “It's free service and there's no ticket or no registration required for this service, and it provides stoppage across the city."
Initially, CLT featured two routes, northbound and southbound, launching from a central transit station.
“But in 2022 we have developed an accelerated system.”
The updated 2022 system introduced simultaneous north and southbound service, reducing wait times from about an hour to about 36 minutes.
Among the system’s milestones was the 2017 Minister's Award for Excellence, received at the 20th Annual Tri-City Conference. The transit program has also benefitted from several provincial and federal grants, including the Transit Infrastructure Fund (2016), Green Transit Incentives Program (2016), and the Canada Public Transit Fund (2024), which will provide $10 million over 10 years.”
“City of Cold Lake’s grant funding is highly based upon usership,” said Bhuiyan. “The amount of movement of individuals per day . . . So because the City of Cold Lake does not collect revenue, it's not based on like a ticket sale . . . it is based on the gross number,” Bhuyian added.
The target demographic for CLT includes low-income residents, high school and Portage College students, newcomers, seniors, and persons with disabilities.
The service runs Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed on Sundays and statutory holidays. Real-time tracking is available via a mobile app, and a transit coordinator and supervisor ensure operations are monitored throughout the day.
CLT has 35 stops, 10 of which have shelters, along with 12 benches and multiple waste and recycling bins. Infrastructure upgrades for shelters are prioritized, based on ridership levels.
Ridership data shows peak usage times between 3 and 5 p.m., with a noticeable dip on Mondays. Walmart and the central transfer station continue to be the highest traffic stops. Monthly ridership in 2025 has already exceeded previous years, with January, February, and March logging 10,000, 9,000, and 12,000 riders respectively.
“So far since 2015 until March 2025 we had over 1.3 million ridership. So that's a big achievement,” Bhuiyan said.
Cost-per-trip data shows the most efficient periods fall during peak hours, when more riders lower the cost ratio per trip.
CAO Kevin Nagoya highlighted the difficulty of balancing fare collection with ridership, noting that when previous councils introduced transit fees, it typically led to a drop in the number of users.
He added that ridership levels impact grant funding, meaning any dip caused by fees could reduce financial support. “Those are the kind of the balancing acts . . . and also the safety factors of having funding or money on a transit system.”
Despite being a smaller community, Cold Lake has shown exceptional transit usage per capita.
“There's been lots of conversation over the history in this regard, but in terms of grant funding we do excel in terms of the number for our size of community on the amount of usage,” said Nagoya.
The City plans to continue monitoring ridership trends and service efficiency to ensure Cold Lake Transit remains accessible, responsive, and sustainable.
Council accepted the presentation as information.
