While
it will be some time yet before the real impact of amalgamation is
determined, residents of Valley East have seen at least one immediate
benefit with the expansion of the public transit service in the community.
As
of January 1, 2001, the Greater Sudbury Transit became responsible for the
provision of bus service in the new City of Greater Sudbury. As a result,
all buses will be standard and all fares for travelling to any location
within Greater Sudbury are the same.
For
example, the adult fare is now set at $2.00. Children and seniors pay
$1.50. And this fare will take you to anywhere in the City of Greater
Sudbury with no transfer fees.
People
who use the system often can benefit from even lower rates if they
purchase tickets or passes in advance.
The
routes and schedules are likely to be amended as the usage dictates, so
for the time being it is best that you contact the Greater Sudbury Transit
information lines at 675-3333 to find out when the buses will pass your
area. This line is apparently open from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Mondays to
Fridays and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
For
as long as we can remember, residents of Valley East have complained about
a lack of adequate public transit service in this community. Now is our
opportunity to prove that this service is needed and welcomed. The only
way we can do this is to use the service now that it has been provided.
Residents
are also encouraged to contact the Greater Sudbury Transit offices to
offer suggestions on further expansion of routes. If you think you know of
a route that should be added, and if you think it would be used, it
won’t hurt to take a few minutes to call.
The
Vision Paper would like to hear from our readers with their feedback on
this service. Please drop off your letters to the Vision office or fax to
969-4490.