Huron Shores Area Transit Is Extending Hours Of Operation For Bluewater’s Route 3

by Bob Montgomery

Huron Shores Area Transit is expanding the summer hours of operation for “Bluewater” Route 3 to include weekends and a late evening service. 

The expansion will increase awareness of the public transit system while allowing Bluewater residents, cottagers and visitors more frequent and longer outings. Route 3 travels from Grand Bend to Goderich, stopping in St. Joseph, Zurich, Hensall and Bayfield. In the past, it only operated on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons, with two return trips scheduled between noon and 5:12 pm. The expansion will include two afternoon trips on Saturdays and Sundays in July and August.

The late evening bus run allows just over five extra hours for summer diners and patio lovers to take advantage of the local restaurants and breweries and additional time for boutique shoppers hunting for a gem or bargain. At a time when efforts are being increased to reduce impaired driving, the prospect of taking public transit becomes a welcome option. The evening bus leaves Grand Bend at eight in the evening travelling through Bluewater and arriving at the Walmart Plaza in Goderich at 9:12. The return journey to Grand Bend will stop in Bayfield at the Old Town Hall on Clan Gregor Square at 9:40 pm and Cameron Street at 9:43.

Although there is substantial ridership on the Sarnia and London to Grand Bend routes, Bluewater’s route has not seen the same growth. Despite marketing and outreach efforts, the route’s passenger numbers remain low, raising concerns about its continuation beyond the pilot project in 2025. "Our work with Parkhill and Ailsa Craig residents in 2023 led us to question whether the Route 3 schedule was too limiting or the right model," Transit Coordinator Susan Mills, noted. "Instead of reducing Route 3, we decided to expand the hours of operation and schedule them around summer weekends. Bayfield and Goderich host numerous summer events, and we're optimistic these events and the chance to stay longer will encourage residents to try Huron Shores Area Transit."

The new Route 3 Summer schedule is available for download in PDF format from the website at https://huronshoresareatransit.ca/bluewater