Starting Oct. 2, the city of Fort Erie will be riding smoothly once again, with the introductuon of transit service upgrades that will help increase ridership and meet the needs the previous system was unable to.

Key features of the updated transit system include expanded routes for the regions of Fort Erie, Ridgeway and Crystal Beach, as well as an additional route to Stevensville and Black Creek. Students aren’t left out either as there are shuttles that reach Niagara College, Brock University and Niagara Falls, as well as expanded hours from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on all routes.

Transit Manager Carla Stout believes the community effort to determine the best course of action was effective to say the least.

“Fort Erie’s large land mass and multiple population centres have created challenges for our transit services in the past,” said Stout in a release.

She believes the combination of input from the town’s citizen Transit Advisory Committee, multiple focus groups, a public survey, and city council created “the framework behind new transit routes, schedules and capabilities that meet most of the needs expressed by the participants.”

Payment on the new transit system will include a new pre-paid system (in addition to cash, though exact fare total is needed for a single ride) where passengers can purchase daily or monthly passes; or have a card with a dollar value, similar to the Presto system presented by Go Transit.

As well, children under the age of five and students with a valid U-Pass from Niagara College and Brock University are free.

This hasn’t been a recent discussion, the transit system overhaul has been a top priority. Fort Erie mayor Wayne Redekop enforced this notion stating, “since the beginning of this council term, we have made transportation a priority … we are able to make a stronger, more accessible Fort Erie for all.”

For more information regarding schedules, fares, routes and more please visit, www.fetransit.ca or contact 1-866-BUS-LINE.