Just in time for the busy Victoria Day long weekend, the City of Orillia is launching a shuttle pilot program to provide convenient transportation to Couchiching Beach Park starting on May 20.
“With the many revitalization projects taking place in the downtown waterfront area, the City is exploring alternatives to traditional parking options this summer to provide convenient access to our downtown waterfront parks for residents and visitors,” said Mayor Don McIsaac. “The new waterfront shuttle pilot program will allow users to park their vehicle at Lot 6 and hop on the shuttle to go directly to Couchiching Beach Park.”
The City will start with a 10-passenger shuttle, with the ability to increase the size of shuttle if the demand for usage increases.
Pick up will be from Municipal Parking Lot 6, located at 107 West St. S., which is accessible from West Street South or Andrew Street South. Drop off will be at the Jarvis Street entrance of Couchiching Beach Park. The Sunshine Shuttle to and from Couchiching Beach Park will be free with a flat parking fee of $30 per day for vehicles to park in Lot 6. Parking can be paid by credit card with the pay-and-display machine or using the Passport Parking mobile application. The Passport Parking app is user friendly and available to download from all major app stores.
The Sunshine Shuttle will operate with a 20-minute cycle during peak waterfront usage times on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holiday Mondays from May 20 to Sept. 4, 2023.
Operating Hours:
Fridays: 3 to 8 p.m.
Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sundays: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Holiday Mondays: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
During the pilot program, Lot 6 will not accept per-hour pay-and-display parking requests and will only be used for monthly permits and all-day parking for people wishing to utilize the shuttle service. Parking of vehicles with attached trailers will be prohibited in Lot 6. For people wishing to use off-street parking in the area, Lot 9, along with eight other municipal parking lots, are available.
Funding for the waterfront parking shuttle pilot program was approved as part of the 2023 budget process and will be operated through the City’s transit provider, TOK Transit. The City of Orillia will be reviewing operations, usage and feedback received during the pilot program to inform any adjustments required for operations and recommendations for future years. For more information regarding the Sunshine Shuttle and parking in Orillia, please visit orillia.ca/parking.
For more information regarding the waterfront revitalization projects taking place in the downtown waterfront area and their impacts, visit orillia.ca/waterfront.