New waterfront shuttle pilot program coming to Orillia

Orillia waterfront

Just in time for the Victoria Day long weekend, the City of Orillia will soon offer its “Sunshine Shuttle,” a 10-passenger shuttle that will drive riders from downtown to the waterfront throughout the summer.

The new waterfront shuttle will allow users to park their vehicle at Lot 6, get on the shuttle, and go directly to Couchiching Beach Park.

“With the many revitalization projects taking place in the downtown waterfront area, the city is exploring alternatives to traditional parking options this summer to provide convenient access to our downtown waterfront parks for residents and visitors,” said Orillia Mayor Don McIsaac.

The Sunshine Shuttle to and from Couchiching Beach Park will be free, although there is a parking fee of $30 per day for vehicles to park in Lot 6.

“During the pilot program, Lot 6 will not accept per-hour pay-and-display parking requests and will only be used for monthly permits and all-day parking for people wishing to utilize the shuttle service,” the city said in a release.

The shuttle will begin on May 20 and run every 20 minutes. The hours of service include Fridays from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This new pilot program will run until Sept 4.