Starting July 1, the Town of Innisfil’s public transit system will change to a distance-based pricing structure. Established in 2017, Innisfil Transit allows Innisfil residents and visitors to pay a subsidized rate when booking an Uber trip.
When the Town first brought public transit to Innisfil, the challenge was to provide a reliable system for residents that was flexible enough to service the long distances between settlement areas while remaining cost-effective. The Town’s innovative solution was a partnership with Uber, allowing the local community the option to travel for work, school, errands, and play at a lower cost.
“It’s been almost 10 years since we established Innisfil Transit. We know people like it and are using it, but we’ve also heard how our community wishes the system was more flexible,” says Mayor Lynn Dollin. “With the coming changes, residents will be able to enjoy the Town’s subsidy when travelling all across Town. Also, families and friends will now be able to travel together—something that wasn’t possible with the previous Hubs-based system.”
Changing to a distance-based pricing structure means that Innisfil Transit will no longer use “Transit Hubs.” Instead, the Town will cover up to $10 of a rider’s trip as long as it’s within Innisfil’s borders. Trips between Innisfil and Barrie South or Bradford GO Stations will also enjoy this subsidy to support commuters transferring to GO Transit.
How it works:
- Rider books their “Innisfil Transit” trip on the Uber app
- A minimum flat fee is applied to the trip (for a single rider, it is $3.25)
- The Town covers the rest of the trip’s cost up to $10
Groups of up to four passengers will also be able to use Innisfil Transit for the first time with the use of a Multi-passenger Voucher, available on the Town’s website. This is an exciting new addition to the system that allows families and friends to travel together without having to pay for separate trips. The cost-structure for multi-passenger trips is the same, with an initial minimum flat fee of $6.50.
All changes will come into effect on July 1. Even though Innisfil Transit will remain a Hubs-based system until June 30, the Town encourages all users to visit innisfil.ca/transit now to familiarize themselves with the upcoming changes, download the Multi-passenger Voucher, and learn about the Teen Transit Pilot.
