The future of the controversial Belleville Transit Route 9 could be decided at Monday’s meeting of Belleville council.
Route 9 runs in the developed part of Thurlow ward north of Highway 401.
Council will see a staff report showing that Route 9 carried close to 38,000 riders last year or 3.2% of Belleville Transit’s
ridership. There are 10 main routes in the city. Route 9 buses travelled over 78,000 km, which is almost 8% of the system’s
total distance covered.
The route has been mostly funded by gas tax and has not been paid for by local taxpayers but that funding ends in March and if
the costs of the route, estimated at $8.68 per passenger, are put on tax bills it’s estimated it will cost an extra $165 a year for every $250,000 in property assessment.
Councillor Paul Carr has consistently told council that many Thurlow residents have told him all they’re seeing are empty buses driving around and therefore don’t want to pay for Route 9’s continuation.
At a recent Transit Committee meeting Chair Kathryn Brown, a Thurlow Ward councillor, said she expected a motion to cancel Route 9 was likely to be made in the near future.
Recent Belleville Transit Route 9 stop by stop ridership statistics. (Photo: Quinte News)
