By Laurie Watt

BARRIE - A south-end developer has offered to keep the wheels on the bus going ‘round.

BIN Management – which offers an array of commercial and service industrial units in the Bryne Drive and Commerce Park area – will help fuel the largely-empty bus with up to $53,000 next year.

“(The route) is part of the overall (Barrie Transit master) plan, but not right away,” said Ward 7 Coun. John Brassard, who also chairs the city’s Community Services Committee.

The route was introduced in April at the developer’s request, along with a $20,000 contribution.

Running from the Allandale Recreation Centre, Route 37 Veteran’s travels along Essa Road, and down Veteran’s Drive to Commerce Park.

An average of only 25 riders jumped aboard each day, with about two boardings per hour during the fall months – way below the city’s 10 boardings per hour minimum. Ridership peaked at 56 boards on Sept. 29.

Projected to cost $267,000 per year to operate, the bus wouldn’t break even with 10 riders, a city staff report noted. At that level, the taxpayers would subsidize the route $65,600. At two boardings per hour, the bill to taxpayers rises to $118,600.

Brassard said he’d like to give the bus another year, so businesses in the area can promote its use among employees and customers.

“The key is businesses in that area should start to use that bus. That’s the only way it would be sustainable. We need ridership,” he said.

“BIN Management sees the value in the investment, but it’s up to people to use it. (Businesses) are going to be giving out tokens and looking at advertising.”

Down the road, Barrie Transit’s plan calls for the bus to link with the secondary GO station, to be located at Allandale. The plan, however, isn’t included in the 2010 proposed budget – which is to be released before Christmas – because of “limited resources and other program changes that were identified as being more critical.”

As a pilot project for 2010, the route could be funded partially by Ontario gas tax funding, as well as from an estimated $10,400 in fares.