Cobourg, ON – February 15, 2023—To mark the upcoming six-month milestone for the Northumberland Commuter Connect transit service, County Warden Mandy Martin and Deputy Warden Brian Ostrander boarded the shuttle bus service in Colborne this morning to commute to today’s County Council meeting in Cobourg. MPP Piccini was on-hand to greet the commuters as they disembarked at the Northumberland Mall bus stop.
Officials took this opportunity to provide an update on the year-long pilot initiative, including recent ridership data that points to continued growth of this innovative service. Launched last September, the service connects the communities of Northumberland with each other and with GO Transit services in Oshawa. Designed based on community feedback and made possible through a partnership with the Province of Ontario, Metrolinx, and local area partners, the purpose of the pilot is to assess local need and opportunity for increased transit options for local commuters.
Recent data shows continued growth of ridership, as more and more users access the service to connect with Northumberland communities, meet with friends, travel to work, and attend medical appointments. In the first six months, 588 registered users have signed up to the payment portal with:
- 89 inter-county trips taken (59% increase since Jan.1)
- 853 Oshawa trips taken (34% increase since Jan. 1)
When surveyed, riders indicated that the number one reason for using the service was to visit friends and family (58%), followed by work-related activities (47%). Using the service to access entertainment and medical appointments also ranked high on the list of reasons. There are, furthermore, environmental benefits to consider. Fewer cars on the road makes for healthier communities because of improved air quality and reduced CO2 emissions.
The County has partnered with Hop In Technologies, a transportation logistics provider, to coordinate this convenient weekday bus service. In addition to operating the online portal for ticket purchases, Hop In has contracted Community Care Northumberland to provide bus services within Northumberland, while Eastern Charters is delivering the Durham route, taking passengers directly to the Oshawa GO and back again to Northumberland.
This pilot is due to conclude in September 2023, with the County collaborating with Hop In during this time to evaluate ridership to fully understand how best to plan for any future services. Over the next six months, the County will continue to work with partners to promote this initiative and engage new users. To learn more about this service, access ride schedules and rates, and purchase tickets, visit CommuterConnect.ca.
Quotes:
“Developing the infrastructure to strengthen connections between local communities – along with neighbouring regional transit systems – is a key priority identified in Northumberland County’s Transportation Master Plan. The Commuter Connect service has been designed to address this priority, enhancing local transportation networks and increasing flexibility and choice for Northumberland commuters. We are pleased to see ridership continuing to grow, as more and more users experience the benefits of hopping on Commuter Connect to get to work, meet with friends, and attend medical appointments. We encourage residents to explore this option to meet their local travel needs.” – Mandy Martin, Warden , Northumberland County
“Providing safe, reliable transportation infrastructure in rural communities like ours is incredibly important,” said MPP David Piccini. “The Government of Ontario is making historic investments in public transit, looking at a variety of models that make sense for each community, and we will keep working to ensure that families in our community have the services they need to visit friends and family, travel to work, and get to medical appointments.” – David Piccini, MPP, Northumberland-Peterborough South
For more information:
Kate Campbell
Director, Communications
Northumberland County
Phone: 905-372-3329 x2335
Email: campbellk@northumberland.ca
Web: Northumberland.ca
About Northumberland County
Located on the traditional territory of the Mississauga, Northumberland County is a thriving community just one hour east of Toronto along Highway 401, with easy access to urban centres to the north, east and west. As the upper tier level of municipal government for the region, Northumberland County’s vision is to bring together people, partnerships and possibilities for a strong and vibrant Northumberland. Our community includes seven distinct yet complementary municipalities, with County Council comprised of the Mayors of each of these member municipalities:
- Township of Alnwick/Haldimand
- Municipality of Brighton
- Town of Cobourg
- Township of Cramahe
- Township of Hamilton
- Municipality of Port Hope
- Municipality of Trent Hills
