The second phase of Barrie Transit’s service changes could detoured next year.
Sitting as infrastructure and community investment committee on Nov. 13, city councillors heard a presentation on the 2025 transit network adjustments, which could replace the new network’s second phase, at least for now.
“We're proposing not to do the phase two, as previously approved, and change direction in that plan,” said Jason Zimmerman, the city’s supervisor of transit operations and infrastructure.
Committee OKed the changes, which still required general committee and city council approval.
The changes would first involve an adjustment to the existing Route 2’s schedule (central Barrie) and route pattern to service the Pringle and Sproule drives neighbourhood. Coverage currently provided by Transit ON Demand service in Zone G (Sproule, Pringle and Miller drives) would be added to Route 2, all in the first quarter of 2025.
Route 8 (Cundles Road, Anne Street) and Transit ON Demand Zones A (Hanmer, Stanley and Coulter streets) and B (Penetang Street) adjustments would be done in the third quarter of 2025, to align with the opening of the Barrie Allandale Transit Terminal.
Route 8 adjustments to the new terminal would be done in the third quarter of 2025, also in line with the opening of the Barrie Allandale Transit Terminal. The implementation of four new Transit ON Demand zones to align with the delivery of the additional buses for the Salem and Hewitts areas in south Barrie would take place in the spring.
So why the change in plan?
“A little bit of that is we want to minimize the level of change … the city is going through a lot of changes next year,” Zimmerman said, mentioning the impact of construction on Barre Transit of new roads and bridges over Highway 400, such as at Essa and Sunnidale roads.
“When we are launching a new route and ask people to change their travel habits and adjust to that new route and immediately the new route goes into one or multiple detours … that isn’t always great on our riders,” he said. “So we will be looking at major construction impacts and how we can plan around them to limit that level of impact on our riders.”
Barrie Transit’s new network was first launched last June. In addition to route changes in the first phase, there are what’s called express and frequent routes, and expanded Transit ON Demand, from one zone to five zones.
There is also New Express Route 400 between Park Place and Georgian College/Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, on Highway 400, with 30-minute frequency operating from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays.
There’s added service coverage on Hanmer Street, Lakeside Terrace and Amelia Street.
Transit ON Demand is a Barrie Transit service without a fixed schedule or route. Users can book a trip through an app, online or by phone, and then bus travel is optimized through a computer-based system. It operates within a specific zone allowing riders to travel from bus stop to bus stop within the zone, on demand.
But while transit staff were praised by councillors for listening to bus riders’ concerns, and reacting to changes, the ride isn’t always smooth, said Coun. Bryn Hamilton.
“I do find it complex. I’m not a transit user,” she said. “I have now taken transit a handful of times. And I found it difficult. It actually took me hours to download the app, I had to call Service Barrie.
“I went through it like an average citizen … and I struggled,” Hamilton added. “I struggled to figure out how to access Transit ON Demand, I struggled to find out where I’m supposed to stand on the right street. We went to the wrong one. So I have since used it now but it took me a couple of times. It wasn’t easy to navigate.”
