‘The Loop’ Making Its Final Rounds

Experiment with public transit ending in Gravenhurst

Low ridership will mean ‘The Loop’ public transit pilot project in Gravenhurst will end on December 21…for now. “While ‘The Loop’ may be coming to end for now, the concept of an in-town transportation system will continue to be reviewed by staff,” said Scott Lucas, director of development services. “This pilot program was an excellent opportunity for the Town to test out Gravenhurst’s appetite for transit and get a sense of a model that could best serve ridership in the future. While we received valuable feedback from riders in the community, taking on the sole cost of continuing ‘The Loop’ at this time, could not be substantiated based largely on ridership.” The pilot program, which utilized the Highway 11 Corridor Bus during off hours began on July 11, in partnership with Hammond Transportation and The District of Muskoka. “We encourage the public to continue to share any further comments so that we can explore a feasible model of public transportation in our community that would attract regular ridership. It may be that there is simply not an overwhelming desire for this type of service at this time; however, we are certainly open to further dialogue and look forward to working on a transportation model that could work in the future.”