Picton – Hundreds of students, commuters and seniors have enjoyed convenient and accessible transportation options over the past year with County Transit.
“Thanks to everyone who overcame the challenges of COVID-19 and made the first year of County Transit a success,” Mayor Steve Ferguson says. “As things slowly reopened over the last year, County Transit was there to deliver reliable and cost-effective transportation. I look forward to this important service growing over the next year and beyond.”
Since the buses began rolling in August 2020, Country Transit has provided approximately 1,500 trips as well as 5,300 trips on the specialized service.
County Transit offers a fixed route schedule through Picton, Bloomfield, and Belleville. Pick-up and drop-off at Belleville transit terminal allow for convenient transfers to all major routes in Belleville, including Loyalist College, Quinte Mall, Belleville General Hospital, the Via Rail station, and more. In addition, on-demand options are available in some areas of the County.
County Transit continues to grow and expand to meet the demand. An additional run later in the day will be added in the next few weeks so that people can use County Transit for their return trip as well.
“We continue to work closely with the municipality to tailor the service to best meet the needs of County residents and visitors,” says Shelly Ackers, Executive Director of Quinte Access, the service provider of County Transit.
In addition to standard transit options, County Transit piloted a successful run to Sandbanks Provincial Park for eight weeks this past summer. The bus picked up people in Trenton, Belleville and several stops in the County with a drop-off at the Dunes Beach for the day with a pick-up at the end of the day.
“We had some good feedback and people really enjoyed the trip and their day at the beach. We heard from people who had lived in the area for most of their life and had never been to the beach because they did not drive. They were very appreciative of the service and would definitely use it again if available next year,” Ms. Ackers says.
County Transit recently struck a new marketing partnership with James Hartford and Lynn Stein of Hartford and Stein Group Union Realty Brokerage. This partnership will allow County Transit to expand its marketing reach and educate more people about the service.
“It’s a win-win partnership. It will be fun to work with them to bring some creative ideas forward in order to encourage ridership and reaffirm that there is public transit in Prince Edward County,” says Grace Nyman, Community Services and Programs Coordinator with The County.
“We love what County Transit is doing for the community,” says Lynn Stein and James Hartford. “It is so important, and our whole team is thrilled to be associated with this service. It’s such a great fit. After all, we help people move too! We look forward to the partnership and helping County Transit grow.”
Visit County Transit online to learn more about the service. You can also call 613.392.9640 or toll free 1.855.283.9640.
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For media inquiries, please contact Mark Kerr, Communications and Consultation Supervisor, at 613.476.2148 ext. 1009 or by email at mkerr@pecounty.on.ca.