Bracebridge could get its own bus transit service

Bracebridge councillors think it’s time for a public bus service. They want $70,000 put in the budget this year and next for the project. Once it gets council’s final approval, a request for proposals (RFP) for a contract for transit service operations will be issued by the Town. Deputy Mayor Rick Maloney says it’s a quality of life issue and that many rural residents will use it as many will end up living in the urban core at some point in their lives. Councillor Barb McMurray isn’t supporting it. She says taxes are high enough and that people in the rural areas don’t want to pay for something they won’t use. Mayor Graydon Smith says a transit service will help all residents from a commerce standpoint including education and lifestyle and that the time for it was really 2008. It probably still  won’t become a reality before 2016. Ideally, the bus service would run Mondays to Saturdays. Times of operation would be  between 7:30am and 6:30pm Mon to Fri and 8:30am to 6:30pm Saturdays. A route still needs to be established.