{"id":197159,"date":"2025-07-29T17:35:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T21:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/?p=197159"},"modified":"2025-07-29T17:35:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T21:35:14","slug":"town-of-huntsville-to-improve-and-double-its-public-transit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/town-of-huntsville-to-improve-and-double-its-public-transit\/","title":{"rendered":"Town of Huntsville to improve and double its public transit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At its July 28 meeting, Huntsville Council voted unanimously to expand and improve the Town of Huntsville’s public transportation system.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/broadstreet-zone><\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Brandon Hall, Acting Director of Operations for the Town of Huntsville, said following external and internal consultation, staff heard that the hours need to be expanded and the two-hour urban route shortened to optimize and broaden available public transit in the Town of Huntsville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hall explained that the Town’s public transportation system is comprised of two buses – one runs on an on-demand basis, which is experiencing a backlog. In contrast, the other bus covers the entire urban route in two hours, which isn’t convenient for users who need to travel frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, the Town received a partial grant of $270,000 from the Investing in Canadian Infrastructure Program to purchase two new buses for its transportation fleet. At its July 28 meeting, council approved pulling $85,000 from its Transit Reserve and $52,145 from its Capital Reserve for the municipal portion of the cost of the two buses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two buses will double the Town’s existing transportation fleet. Council heard that one bus would be added to its on-demand bus service, which prioritizes people with disabilities, although it’s open to the entire ridership, and the other bus would be added to its regular urban transportation route, which would shorten the route by one hour and provide a hub at Walmart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hall said one bus will start the route from the east, and the other from the west, and they’ll go through a hub at Walmart, with about a 10-minute lag in the schedule. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The municipality also plans on partnering with the District of Muskoka as part of its Demand Response Transit (DRT) to provide service in the rural area of the town. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its expanded and enhanced transit plan is expected to roll out in three phases. Phase 1 involves the optimization of the urban route with a fleet expansion and modernization with new technology on the buses to help automate operations, expanded service hours, and improvements to bus stops and shelters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase 2 will involve rural Integration through regional collaboration and mapping out rural routes. “The District will be taking the lead to apply for Ontario Transit Investment Fund (OTIF) funding, and would like to collaborate with the area municipalities. Rural Huntsville residents could be connected and brought into the Urban Centre of Huntsville,” notes the staff report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase 3 is expected to focus on accessibility and required upgrades. According to the staff report, “staff will undertake a comprehensive review of all transit stops in the urban service area. The objective is to ensure that the entire network is compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), user-friendly for all age groups, and aligned with long-term infrastructure goals.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the foreseeable future, the public transit fare in Huntsville is expected to remain at $2.75 or $57.00 for a monthly pass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once GST funding and an increase in ridership are taken into consideration, staff anticipate that the cost of an optimized and expanded Huntsville transit program will result in about a $351,000 annual increase on the levy. That increase is equivalent to a tax increase of about 1.45% or $22 per year, per $300,000 of assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councillor Scott Morrison said while he appreciates the plan, which will be beneficial to the community, he is uncomfortable with such a significant deviation from the 2026 budget, which has already been set. He said he preferred to see the impact on the levy pushed to 2027. Councillor Cory Clark concurred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councillor Bob Stone also said he would like to see the service include Deerhurst Resort and McCulley-Robertson Sports Complex. Council was told that it is a possibility and will be assessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, council agreed to pull $148,000 from its Working Funds Reserve in 2026 and postpone the full impact on the levy until 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are finally making progress on transit,\u201d said a pleased Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The red points are the proposed bus stops, and the green points are the start and end of the proposed bus routes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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At its July 28 meeting, Huntsville Council voted unanimously to expand and improve the Town of Huntsville’s public transportation system. 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