The District of Muskoka is excited to launch Phase 1 of the long-awaited Demand-Responsive Transit service on November 4, 2024.
Demand-Responsive Transit is becoming increasingly common as a transit solution in rural areas. It often uses technology to book and allocate trips to vehicles based on passengers’ demands. Rides are booked in advance and are fed into a system that then generates routing and passenger pick up information to the drivers. Rides may be individual or shared based on demand.
In early 2024, the District of Muskoka secured Blaise Transit Inc. to facilitate a Demand-Responsive Transit system. In August, Council approved the recommendation to launch Phase 1 of the service, which will run until the end of March 2025. Phase 1 will start in the urban centre of Gravenhurst with a report back to inform service expansion. A phased approach will add additional vehicles to extend the service to the rest of Muskoka, with the goal of providing linkages to existing transit in Muskoka and beyond.
How does the District DRT service work?
- Operating Hours: Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., excluding statutory holidays.
- Who Can Use It: Available to all residents, regardless of age or ability who need to travel within the Town of Gravenhurst.
- Booking a Ride: Pre-registration is required. You can book a ride anytime by downloading the Blaise app on a smartphone, on the Blaise website, or during District of Muskoka office hours by calling 705-645-2100 Ext. 4419
- Cost: Phase 1 fares are $5 for adults, $3 for students, and free for children under 12 (must be accompanied by an adult).
The Phase 1 service area boundary can be found on the District website, in the Blaise app, or on the Blaise Transit website. Future expansion of the services is expected in 2025.
The District DRT (Demand Responsive Transit) project is funded by the District of Muskoka and the Government of Ontario. The District Municipality of Muskoka is receiving up to $1 million through Ontario’s Community Transportation Grant Program to deliver local and intercommunity transportation services, including the District DRT project.
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