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Province commits $9.5 million to enhance transit between Orangeville and Dundalk

July 10, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Paula Brown, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Residents, businesses and visitors across Grey, Bruce and Dufferin counties can look forward to rural transit enhancements over the next five years.

The three counties announced in a joint press release on June 27 that they’ve secured up to $9.5 million in funding from the province through the Ontario Transit Investment Funding (OTIF) to develop a unified regional transit network.

The project will be completed in partnership with the Saugeen Mobility and Regional Transit (SMART).

“Access to affordable and reliable transportation is essential to the economic, social and environmental health of rural communities,” says Grey County Warden Andrea Matrosovs, on behalf of the partnership. “We’re excited the province sees value in rural transit in our region and grateful for the significant investment that will help build a sustainable transit network across Grey, Bruce and Dufferin counties.”

The tri-county transit project will look to establish a seamless, equitable and efficient transit network connecting the three counties and enhance mobility for residents. The development of the transit network will be based on transition planning reports completed by Grey, Bruce and Dufferin counties.

The transit project will receive funding through the OTIF for five years, which will be used to start up and grow the regional transit network.

The first year of service will include the continuation of the Dundalk to Orangeville transit route, known as Route 2. During this time, there will also be an in-depth study with collaboration from existing transit operators, community engagement and the creation of a request for proposal for a vendor to support the implementation of the regional transit network.

No additional services will be added to the project until a full study and costing have been completed and a vendor is selected. The timeline for these steps is expected to happen no earlier than 2026.

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