The Town of Deseronto will not be running its own transit service by the end of this year.
In a letter received at Hastings County’s Community and Human Services Committee on Wednesday, Deseronto Mayor Dan Johnston stated the town has made the difficult decision to discontinue the Deseronto Transit service effective December 1.
The town has provided regional transit support to the community and surrounding areas such as Belleville, Tyendinaga Township and Napanee for the past 20 years.
However, Johnston stated changing circumstances, including funding and operational challenges, changes to agreements with neighbouring municipalities along with a lack of growth in ridership have made it no longer feasible to continue the service.
In the meantime, Johnston told Warden Bob Mullin and the committee that Deseronto Council is committed to maintaining current service levels until the closure date, provided staffing and infrastructure remain in place.
Following the transition, the intention is to provide a designated public space and encourage the creation of an online carpool/rideshare network to help connect individuals in need of transportation.
(BROCK ORMOND)
