City may build transit to casino in future

Belleville Transit is looking into possibly adding a stop at the new casino. Photo by, James Gaughan, QNet News

By James Gaughan   

BELLEVILLE – The city is currently holding preliminary talks about adding a bus stop at the newly opened Shorelines Casino on Bell Boulevard.

Belleville Transit currently has no bus route the casino.

Transit Manager Matt Coffey says it could be a long time before anything changes, though.

“There’s an operating budget submission which goes to council in April and if there’s a decision at that time I guess it would come into effect on whenever the agreed upon date is, but I don’t really see anything really happening until after the city’s operating budget is decided,” he said.

That’s too late for Loyalist College students like Ilias Stanois who rely on the bus to get around. Stanois said he’s annoyed at city council for not making changes to the transit system before the casino opened.

“Why haven’t they considered there are still people without cars,” he asked.

The closest route takes passengers to Sidney Street and Bell Boulevard.

Stanois said he’d like to know why the city has done nothing to improve public transit to the casino.

“I would ask them why haven’t they planned it out,” he said.

Coffey is unsure.

“That’s a good question,” Coffey said when asked, “I don’t know.”

Part of the reason could be that the city doesn’t know what ridership on a new route would be, or the overall costs and doesn’t want to rush things, said Coffey.

“That’s not a responsible way to operate a transit system.”

The city doesn’t know if the changes to the transit system would in the form of an entirely new bus route, or a change to an already existing one, but is considering both options, said Coffey.