With Innisfil Transit surpassing 700,000 trips at the end of the year, the municipality was lauded as being a “game changer” in public transit at council’s Feb. 26 meeting.
Matthew Di Taranto, Uber Transit's Manager of Public Transit Partnerships in Canada, spoke to councillors about the success of the town's partnership with the ride-sharing service, which has been in place since 2017.
“Innisfil serves as proof that when cities embrace bold ideas and strong partnerships, transformative change is possible,” he said. “This isn’t just a transit service; it’s a lifeline that keeps people connected to their jobs, their loved ones and the community.”
Uber now partners with more than 80 communities throughout the world, bringing the “Innisfil Transit model” to other similarly sized municipalities that require public transit options for their residents but would be otherwise hindered by capital and operating costs.
Partnering with Uber has created flexibility for the town, Mayor Lynn Dollin said, as it can adjust its offering in as close to real time as possible, to react to real-world events and in the interest of addressing resident concerns.
“While every other transit system in Canada really was bleeding money during the pandemic, we were saving money,” Dollin said.
Those costs are increasing, however.
A record 172,868 trips were recorded in 2024, an increase of more than 40,000 over 2023. Innisfil Transit saw 8,457 riders use the service, nearly 1,300 more than in 2023 and fewer than 1,000 off the peak ridership level of 9,0500 in 2019.
To subsidize the service, the town paid $1.8 million in 2024, $400,000 more than in 2023.
Coun. Alex Waters asked staff why the subsidy and the ridership both doubled in the past two years. Where residents are going places is a big factor in the costs increasing, he was told.
“Trips to the hubs continually increase in terms of the proportion of the overall amount of trips taken,” said Brandon Correia, the town's manager of planning.
Barrie South GO was the best example, he said. Approximately one-third of all trips taken in 2024 either began or ended at Barrie South GO, and the year-over-year increase was “massive,” with nearly 12,500 more trips taken to and almost 13,000 more trips taken from the transit hub.
“The hub subsidy (for a trip to or from) Barrie South GO is approximately $17, whereas other hubs are a little bit less… anywhere from $10 to $14 per trip,” Correia said. “So, as more trips are happening to the hubs, it does drive up that per capita cost.”
There are currently eight hubs in Innisfil residents can go to and return from with a $4, $5 or $6 fare, each way. For all other locations, a $4 credit is applied to each leg of the trip by the town.
Prior to the meeting, a ninth hub was proposed to aid the town’s seniors and veterans.
Karlene Doyle, branch secretary for Royal Canadian Legion Branch 547 Innisfil, located in Belle Ewart, asked council to make the service club’s Innisfil location a transit hub, making a return trip for patrons cost as little as $8.
The closest hub to the legion is the Morgan Russel Memorial Arena and Community Centre in Lefroy, a 30-minute walk away. Walking between locations can be dangerous for the most able-bodied, especially during the winter, and even more so for those with mobility issues or seniors.
Many rides likely already pass the legion on the way to the arena, she said, and the transit hub option would open up the branch to additional community uses and potential new members, strengthening its presence and helping to ensure its continued vitality in Innisfil.
Coun. Fred Drodge took up the legion’s cause, adding an amendment to the motion passed by council, asking for staff to look into the feasibility of adding the branch as a transit hub.
New for 2025 with Innisfil Transit is a multiple youth-based vouch pilot. An ongoing concern from families has been the two-seat limit on trips booked with Uber for Innisfil Transit. The new voucher would allow multiple children or teenagers to travel on the same Innisfil Transit trip booked through a parent’s or guardian’s account.
The voucher would allow these riders to use Uber X and Uber XL services and specific to the flat fare hub locations.
The pilot voucher program for Cookstown and Friday Harbour ended in the fall and is not being renewed at this time. Friday Harbour resident Aleen Huggins also spoke to council during the meeting, encouraging councillors not to exclude Friday Harbour in the town’s transit plans, as its residents are eager to patronize the town’s businesses and restaurants.
Such considerations—along with the introduction of the first Simcoe County Linx bus route through the municipality—will be explored throughout 2025 before the town’s revised Transit Master Plan is presented to council.
A background report and technical memorandum on the Transit Master Plan are expected before council breaks for the summer, which “will summarize feedback from the public and provide guidance on how Innisfil Transit could be improved,” a staff report to council indicated.
“Through the Transit Master Plan development process, staff will consider the merit of additional ‘hubs’ and/or methods of service delivery,” the report continued.
The first Linx route – set to connect Barrie South GO and Bradford GO via Innisfil – is expected to come online in the fall.