New on-demand transit rolling in Leamington

By Mark Ribble

LEAMINGTON — The new LTGO on-demand transit system is up and running in Leamington.

At 6 am on Monday, May 2, the first riders boarded one of two brand new buses delivered recently and put in service by the municipality.

The 35-foot buses feature free wi-fi and USB charging ports at every seat.

The previous Leamington Transit system, which was a fixed-route system, had 64 designated bus stops throughout town, but the new on-demand LTGO system will feature 117 bus stops throughout the municipality — stretching from the waterfront in the south to Peavey Mart in the east, to Wilkinson Drive in the north and Fraser Road in the west.

One of two new buses that hit the streets of Leamington on Monday, May 2.

SUN photo

Users will be able to book a pick-up spot and time on the free app called Blaise and then make their way to their designated bus stop. The algorithms within the system will then get the rider to their destination in the quickest possible way.

Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald — along with a few members of administration and local resident Charlotte SexSmith — took a ride on the bus on Friday, April 29.

Many questions were asked and then answered by Leamington’s Engineering Project Manager Andy Dowling, who was aboard to acquaint the riders with the new bus and system. It’s been a long time coming, according to Dowling. “We’ve been working on this for just over two years,” he said. “We’re ready to roll.” Dowling says that one great thing about the 117 stops is that people won’t have to walk far to get to them.

“It’ll be a two-and-a-half to four-minute walk for most folks to find a bus stop,” he said. “We’ve put up new bus stops in every neighbourhood.

Dowling says they have future plans to add a third bus, which will then open up the possibilities of expanding the service area to outlying rural areas like Point Pelee National Park and Colasanti’s.

“This will be great for summer events,” he said. “Imagine getting on the bus uptown and riding to Seacliff Park to see a concert.”

That’s where Charlotte SexSmith believes the new system will shine.

“With parking limited at Seacliff, this will be the way to go,” she said.

SexSmith was among a handful of people on the bus for its trial run around Leamington on Friday, which made its way past the marina area and then back up to the Nature Fresh Farms Complex.

Mayor MacDonald was happy with the comfort and ride on the bus.

“This is really nice,” she said. “I think I’m going to use this quite often.”

Leamington’s Manager of Communications and Public Relations, Kelly Sfetkidis, left, tests out the standing room loops on the new LTGO transit bus with Mayor Hilda MacDonald.

SUN photo

The municipality would really like to see new riders take the new system to make their way throughout town, citing the price of gas and hassles with parking as good reasons to board the bus.

On-demand transit differs from conventional transit in that there is no fixed route or schedule and buses are dispatched on a per-request basis. This offers more flexibility for riders.

For riders without a smartphone or computer to book their rides on, a phone booking system is available by calling 519-325-5960.

Leamington’s Engineering Project Manager Andy Dowling, left, shows resident Charlotte SexSmith how to use the Blaise app to book a ride on the new on-demand transit system, LTGO.

SUN photo

The buses run from 6:00 am to 9:30 pm Monday to Saturday. You can be picked up and dropped off anytime within that time frame. Hours will be expanded to include Sundays and holidays from Victoria Day through Labour Day weekend.

The buses will also provide a connection between LTGO and the LTW (Leamington to Windsor) Transit Route.

Riders can also request a ‘reduced mobility’ option on the app and take advantage of one of the bus’s wheelchair accessible seats.

The buses feature 36 seats — with two wheelchair accessible seats included — and will hold up to 72 passengers including standing room.

Fares are $3 for adults, $2.50 for seniors (60+) and students, while children under 12 with an adult ride for free. A 30-day pass option is also available.

The web app to book online is ride.blaisetransit.com and you can also download the Blaise app on Google Play and the Apple App Store to create your account.

The cost of the two new diesel-powered buses — totalling over $900,000 — has been offset by government funding.