As the City continues to improve Orillia’s transit system, riders will see a slight fare increase in 2023.
Effective Jan. 1, 2023, a cash fare to ride the bus in Orillia will increase by $0.10 from $2.80 to $2.90. There will also be price changes to monthly passes and bulk ride fees (see attached Orillia cOnnect Pass Poster).
“The City recognizes how important public transit is to our community. Particularly today when cost of living is increasing and we are making strides to build a better climate future, public transit offers an affordable and carbon friendly mode of travel. This slight increase in fares allows us to continue building on our transit system to meet the community’s needs, now and in the future,” said Mayor Don McIsaac. “Making investments in public transit now will pay dividends for the long-term accessibility and capacity of Orillia’s transit system, and result in a better rider experience for our residents and visitors.”
Over the past few years, the City has invested significantly in Orillia’s transit system with new buses, adding bicycle racks, an additional route and more shelters in order to provide better service and convenience for riders.
In 2022, investments continued with the installation of three new transit shelters and addition of a new transit stop at the Orillia Recreation Centre, providing service to the main entry every 30 minutes during regular transit service hours. The City also launched the Orillia cOnnect Smart Pay Fare System, enabling riders to pay for their fare with the tap of a card that can be loaded online or in person. A total of 7,983 cards have been activated so far, with a total of 195,979 rides using the new cards.
In early 2023, “Tap, Transfer and Save” will launch, which is a new partnership between the Simcoe County LINX and Orillia Transit that will allow the LINX card and Orillia cOnnect Pass card to be used on either transit system. (Orillia cOnnect Pass holders will need to load rides to participate.)
“Transit is subsidized to a large degree by the municipality,” said Jeff Hunter, Manager of Construction and Transit. “In reviewing transit fares annually, we take into consideration the overall budget, cost of improvements, and benchmarking with other transit systems. The small increase for the 2023 transit fare is still very competitive for our users while enabling the City to continue making investments and enhancements.”
Updated rate schedules and route maps are available on the City’s website at orillia.ca/transit and at Orillia City Centre, the Orillia Public Library, on transit buses, and also displayed inside the transit shelters.
