Burlington kicks off pilot project offering free weekday transit for seniors

A pilot project aimed at getting more seniors to use Burlington’s transit system began on Monday.

The pilot will run for 18 months and will allow those 65 and older to ride Burlington Transit for free between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on weekdays.

The idea received traction in February after the city’s budget committee carried a motion to bring free transit to seniors, which eventually became the pilot project after the city approved its 2019 budget at a council meeting on March 25.

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“Fares can act as a barrier to that. I want to eliminate as many barriers as possible to get more folks comfortable with using our local transit system, and free transit does that,” Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said in a release following the budget committee meeting in March.

The pilot also includes free monthly passes on Presto for Burlington residents who qualify for the Subsidized Passes for Low Income Transit (SPLIT) program.

Meanwhile, the city says it will pursue a joint venture with Halton Region to improve the SPLIT program and work with school boards to develop a fare strategy for students.

Seniors can take advantage of the pilot program by loading a Free65 pass onto a Presto card.

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