Archive

Changes made to bus stop at Alder Rec Centre, transit route breakdown

July 18, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

To help patrons of the now-shut-down Tony Rose Memorial Sports Centre pool continue to swim locally, the Town of Orangeville is making changes to its transit system.

Orangeville Transit and Parks and Recreation are modifying the bus stop at the Alder Street Recreation Centre (275 Alder St.) to make it easier to access the facility, which has Orangeville’s only open pool.

“Our transit riders and pool visitors have shared their challenges

accessing the pool at the Alder Street Recreation Centre, and we have listened,” said Orangeville’s Manager of Transportation and Development Tony Dulisse. “We are committed to improving our route communications and are also making changes at the recreation centre to enhance the safety and convenience of the bus stop.”

The existing bus stop at Alder, on the west side of the driveway to the recreation centre is being moved to the east side. The move will place the bus stop at the sidewalk leading to the facility’s entrance and eliminate the need to cross a busy parking lot, providing a safe entrance.

In addition, Orangeville Transit is purchasing a new bus shelter and pouring a concrete pad for the relocated stop.

These elements will be installed at a to-be-determined date in the future, following the bus shelter’s delivery.

“In recognition of the aquatics participants who often rely on walking to Tony Rose Memorial Sports Centre, a communications campaign is being launched to help navigate transportation to Alder Street Recreation Centre,” said the Town of Orangeville in a press release.

Orangeville’s Manager of Recreation and Events Sharon Doherty-Gaudin noted the importance of providing easy access to the town’s recreation centres.

“Navigating a new route can be overwhelming,” said Doherty-Gaudin. “Ensuring easy access between our two recreation centres has always been a priority, which is why they’re on the same bus route. There’s no need to transfer or worry about boarding the right bus — just hop on the bus in the Tony Rose area, and it will take you all the way to Alder.”

There are six stops on Orangeville Transit’s Orange Route that are close to Tony Rose Memorial Sports Centre:

• First Street and Fourth Avenue 
• The Bromount Place (McCarthy Street) 
• McCarthy Street and Faulkner Street 
• Fead Street at Faulkner Street (ODSS) 
• ODSS at Tony Rose Memorial Sports Centre 
• Clara Street and Elizabeth Street 

“When the Orange bus passes through the transit hub, riders will remain on the bus straight through to Alder Street Recreation Centre. The route will take approximately 15 minutes to travel between the two rec centres,” said the Town of Orangeville’s press release.

To keep transit users informed, a special section will be added to the transit and recreation pages of orangeville.ca with details specifically for travelling between the two recreation centres. There is also a map and information available on social media.

“The participants in our programs are incredibly important to us, and we want to make this disruption to their routine as smooth as possible,” said Doherty-Gaudin.  

Looking to the future, the town said Orangeville Transit and Parks and Recreation will continue to work collaboratively to invest in further improvements at the Alder Street Recreation Centre.

These improvements include a review of the parking lot and ways to increase safety during high-traffic periods.  

“We’re continuing to listen and examining ways we can incorporate more accessible options moving forward,” said Dulisse.

“The changes we are making with this one stop are not the end – discussions are already underway on other ways we can make access to Alder Recreation Centre easier, safer, and better for transit and recreation users.” 

Readers Comments (0)