Shelburne restarts weekend transit service, adds more stops

Written By Paula Brown

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Shelburne residents will soon be able to use public transportation to get around town on weekends. 

Starting this Saturday (April 29) and running through to December 31, Shelburne will have an in-town transit service route from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. 

“The modification to our weekend transit service to include an in-town route is great news for the Shelburne community. This service will provide our residents with a safe, reliable and affordable option for getting around town on the weekends. We're incredibly thankful for the partnership that we have with Grey County which makes this possible,” said Shelburne Mayor Wade Mills. 

The Town of Shelburne will also be increasing the number of bus service stops, adding 10 more for a total of 14 locations throughout the town. The increase in weekend service stops has also allowed riders to now wait at any of the 14 stops rather than having to pre-book and pre-pay for the service. 

The weekend transit in Shelburne, which is provided by the Grey Transit Route (GTR) is comprised of 10 runs each day, with the route every 30 minutes.

The transit service in Shelburne initially launched in 2020 as a weekday service funded by a grant received by Grey County and Southgate Township from the provincial government. The funding was used to implement service from Dundalk to Orangeville, also known as Route 2.

In July of 2021, a five-month pilot project to expand the transit service to include weekends between Shelburne and Orangeville was launched, with council approving a monthly cost of $5,000 for the weekend service expansion. The cost for the service was increase to $5,500 per month in 2022. In October of 2022, council unanimously voted in favour of suspending the weekend transit service due to the increased cost surrounding the service. 

According to a report to council, the weekend transit service cost was approved as part of the 2023 budget and will cost $6,450 per month to run. 

The cost per ride is $5 for adults, $4.50 for seniors (55 years and older), and free for children under the age of 5. Payment is by cash only. 

Further information on the weekend transit service, including bus stop locations, can be found on the Town of Shelburne website.