Northumberland County council hits the brakes on 'Commuter Connect' transit service pilot
Northumberland County council has hit the brakes to ultimately conclude a transit service that offered residents a ride from Cobourg into Durham Region.
The county announced on Wednesday (July 3) that the Commuter Connect pilot service will end as of Friday, August 2.
The decision follows a "comprehensive evaluation of the pilot service" that connected Northumberland residents to the Oshawa GO station. Commuter Connect riders could then connect from Oshawa to Toronto via GO Transit.
"The simple reality is that the cost per ride subsidy is simply not sustainable," Brian Ostrander, warden of Northumberland County, told kawarthaNOW. "We would need a significant increase in ridership in order to make a commuter connection both within Northumberland and beyond our borders viable."
County council discussed in 2023 the merits and costs of the Cobourg-to-Oshawa service and agreed to extend the pilot project until 2026, pending the review of the program in June 2024.
The pilot project originally also connected residents between Campbellford, Brighton, Colborne, and Cobourg through its Northumberland line. In December 2023, the Northumberland line was discontinued due to low ridership interest and costs associated with operation.
At that time, county council extended the timeline for evaluation of the better-used Durham line to determine if a reduced service would be more financially sustainable.
Based on the June review, which noted continued low ridership and a high cost to subsidize the service, it was determined that operation of the Durham Line was also no longer sustainable. Discontinuation of the Durham line represents the conclusion of all Commuter Connect pilot transportation services, the county noted.
"I know for the loyal riders who depend on this shuttle bus service this will be disappointing news," Ostrander said in a media release. "The decision to discontinue the Commuter Connect service was not made lightly."
"Northumberland County launched this program as a pilot to assess the interest and demand for a regional transit service, and to evaluate the costs involved in delivering it. Unfortunately, due to low ridership numbers and the cost to subsidize the rider service, we have determined that the operation will not be sustainable beyond the pilot phase."
The 18-month pilot, in partnership with Metrolinx, generated insights that will help inform future potential transportation programs in Northumberland County, the county noted.
"We appreciate the support and feedback from all our riders during this pilot project," said Dan Borowec, the county's director of strategic initiatives. "Ridership participation has been invaluable in understanding local transportation needs, and we will continue to investigate alternative transportation options in Northumberland County for residents, workers, and employers."
The county noted developing transportation infrastructure to strengthen connections between local communities — along with neighbouring regional transit systems — is a key priority identified in Northumberland County's transportation master plan.
Back in 2022, Northumberland partnered with Hop In Technologies, a transportation logistics provider, to co-ordinate the Commuter Connect pilot, scheduling weekday bus service. In addition to operating the online portal for rider ticket purchases, Hop In also co-ordinated bus service delivery with Community Care Northumberland to provide transit services within Northumberland, and with Eastern Charters to deliver services along the Durham route, taking passengers directly to Oshawa GO and back again to Northumberland.
"The logistical support provided by Hop In technologies enabled us to deliver a schedule with multiple stops each day to meet the transportation needs of commuters," Borowec said. "We are grateful for the exceptional customer service and rider experience delivered by Community Care Northumberland and Eastern Charters."
Riders impacted by the conclusion of the Commuter Connect pilot program can redeem any unused rider credits for a full refund by visiting commuterconnect.ca. Any unused rider credits will be automatically refunded after August 2, the county noted. For questions about the schedule or to redeem unused credits, riders can email userhelp@hopintech.com or call 289-800-9711.
Although the Community Connect pilot project is ending, Northumberland County residents have another transportation option to get to Toronto.
In May, VIA Rail Canada announced it was reinstating its morning commuter rail service between Ottawa and Toronto. The new VIA Rail Train 641 leaves Ottawa at 4:19 a.m. and arrives in Toronto at 8:48 a.m. Monday through Thursday, with stops in Kingston, Belleville, Cobourg, and Port Hope.
"I'm not certain if the VIA service resulted in reduced the ridership or not," Ostrander said when asked about the potential impact of Train 641 on Commuter Connect. "Having that service in place does provide commuters with a new option."
Natalie Hamilton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, KawarthaNOW
