The launch of the county-wide LINX transit system has been deemed a success, and now the County of Simcoe is looking at more routes for 2019.
The success of the program was outlined in a staff report received for information during the last county council meeting of the term on Tuesday morning.
“The service launch has been a success as ridership numbers and fares have exceeded the forecasts in the Transit Implementation Plan. Staff have been periodically riding the bus to get feedback on the service,” reads the report.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive. This system is making a difference to the people who need it. Many riders are taking it to and from (Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre) for various medical appointments.”
According to the staff report, budgeted ridership for August, September and October was 6,891. Actual ridership was 8,565.
In September, Simcoe County LINX introduced a Smartcard collection system. The payment system consists of reusable plastic Smartcards that look similar to credit and debit cards with a memory chip. Customers pay their fare by tapping the card to the Smartcard reader at the entrance of the bus and tapping off when they reach their destination.
The Smartcard system is planned to expand to integrate with other transit operators in Simcoe County.
Looking forward, county staff are working toward the launch of two new bus routes in August 2019: Route 2 from Orillia to Barrie and Route 3 from Collingwood/Wasaga Beach/Stayner to Barrie.
“In order to support these new routes, it is planned to increase the bus fleet from four to 11 buses and the specialized fleet from two to five buses,” reads the report. “Monitoring of existing Route 1 service will also continue.”
According to the report, transit expenditures are already accounted for in the 2018 budget, so there shouldn’t be an additional cost.
The transit link has been the product of a 24-month conversation between the county and the varying municipalities that are participating in the project. There are plans for more routes to be unveiled for Alliston to Bradford (2020-21) and Midland to Orillia (2020-21).
The province has contributed $8.4 million toward the project, while the county has contributed $5 million. LINX buses offer seating for up to 24 passengers plus room for eight standing passengers and two wheelchairs, while the LINX+ specialized transit service offers accessible door-to-door service through registration and pre-booking only.
For more information on the Simcoe County LINX transit service, click here.
