Due to community interest, Chatham-Kent’s beach bus service will return on a limited basis this year.
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South Kent Coun. Anthony Ceccacci moved successfully last meeting to have the seasonal service return for one day a month for three months, for one year.
The beach bus, established in 2010, was discontinued in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reimplemented in 2021, then not renewed in 2022. It hasn’t run since.
The seasonal route served Mitchell’s Bay and Erieau from the downtown Chatham transit terminal with stops in Blenheim, Charing Cross, St. Clair College’s Chatham campus, Pain Court and Grande Pointe.
The route gives people access to local beaches and nearby tourist destinations.
As part of Ceccacci’s motion, staff will include a summary of the service in a future report on transit service levels and routes.
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If beach bus ridership is low, staff can terminate the service and report back to council.
There have been several questions about the possibility of re-establishing the service to promote affordable, accessible transit, Ceccacci said.
Most recently, the Erieau Community Association submitted a request for service on one Saturday a month in June, July and August, he said.
A staff report listed the cost at $2,576.
Calling it an economical way of offering the service, Ceccacci said the municipality can determine whether the route is feasible in the long term.
“Now that things have opened up considerably (post-pandemic), and we have such a wide-based geographical area, this is something that’s very, very cost-effective to operate and try,” he said.
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