Ride the River Route Starting August 30th, 2021! | Ontario East

Ride the River Route Starting August 30th, 2021!

Media Release, August 24, 2021

PRESCOTT, ON - Four South Grenville Municipalities, including Augusta Township, City of Brockville, Town of Prescott and Township of Edwardsburgh Cardinal, have partnered to bring transit service to the area with a bus route from Brockville to Cardinal along County Road 2, appropriately named the River Route.

Starting August 30th, 2021, the River Route will use a City of Brockville bus (thanks to their generous in-kind donation) starting in Brockville, to take commuters to popular workplaces in Prescott, Augusta and Edwardsburgh Cardinal in a 2-hour loop, 6 times per weekday from 5:30am – 5:30pm. Stops near Invista, Giant Tiger Distribution Centre and Ingredion Canada are strategically located to serve large employment areas, although residents will also be able to take advantage of the service for shopping or errands with additional stops at Canada Post in Maitland; Prescott’s Independent Grocer and Canadian Tire; as well as the Village Square Mall in Cardinal.

Riders are encouraged to visit RiverRoute.ca for a full list of stop times and locations. The bus will be equipped with GPS to let riders know the bus location directly from the website so you are always aware of your wait time. Helpful QR codes can be found at each bus stop for easy access to transit information on your mobile device.

A ride on the River Route is only $5. Cash payment is accepted when boarding or tickets can be purchased at any of the four partner municipality offices. Books of 10 to transfer onto the regular transit system with no additional cost, but a River Route ticket is required if transferring from the regular Brockville transit system to the new County Road 2 route.

Some supporting businesses have made tickets available to their staff directly through their offices. Employers are encouraged to reach out to their municipal office if they wish to become ticket sale partners.

The 6-month pilot project is funded in part by the Eastern Ontario Leadership Council. The EOLC issued a request for applications on January 14th of this year, with a goal to fund Commuter Transportation Projects in Eastern Ontario. The Town of Prescott has taken a lead role in securing funding from the EOLC, submitting an application with support from the other local Councils in February of this year. The four partner municipalities have each contributed with financial or in-kind support.

The EOLC notes that a significant amount of the labour force in Eastern Ontario commutes across municipal boundaries each day. While most do so by private automobile, there are individuals that do not have transportation to and from work; and employers continue to report real challenges in finding employees.

A survey of 54 South Grenville businesses along the route indicated the service would benefit approximately 90 employees, and half of the businesses anticipate it will help in future recruitment endeavours. Employment agencies CSE Consulting and Brockville’s Employment Education Centre have been key partners throughout the planning process.

COMPLETE MEDIA RELEASE

RIVER ROUTE FLYER

Article Type: 
News Article