24 = 5 Oakville Beaver | Thursday, September 15, 2022 | insidehalton.com TOWN CELEBRATING OAKVILLE TRANSIT'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY The town is celebrating © Oakville Transit's 50th an- niversary. Following an external study commissioned by the town and approval from counc’ ‘ville Transit was officially established on Sept. 5, 1972. It was introduced with 10 new buses, five routes across town, 300 bus stops and 31 drivers, said town staff. The initial services fo- cused on a downtown ter- minal at Church and Dunn streets, then moved to em- phasize service to the Oak- ville ition. In its initial stages, the ser vice also operated sole- ‘ville, but over the decades it expanded into neighbouring communi- tie: ‘S. Today, town staff said, Oakville Transit serves four GO stations, two GO bus terminals and makes connections to Burlington and Mississauga with eight bus routes. le Transit's cur- rent fleet includes 101 con- ventional buses and 23 spe- cialized transit buses with 22 local routes and eight school Specials, and 1,137 bus stop: In total, town staff said, the local transit service had more than four million boardings in 2019. They also pointed out that Oakville Transit now has 220 employees, includ- ing 150 bus operators. “Oakville Transit has played an integral role in shaping our community over the last 50 years, help- ing people get to where they need to be as they ex- plore, live and work in our incredible town and neigh- bouring cities,” said Mayor Rob Burt " ville shas grown sig- nificantly over the past five anging needs of custom- or ’s, while supporting coun- cil's strategic priorities. To our dedicated transit staff, thank your ongoing contiibutiena$ to creating 2 a livable Oakville. Con; lations on this wonertul mile stone.” ible accom- plishncnte a features of akville Transit include: + Oakville Transit's door-to-door transporta- tion service, care-A-van, for persons with disabili- ties, which was established in 1980 /, Together in Safety An Oakville Transit bus in 1972. «construction of the Up- town Core Terminal in 2008 and the construction of an on-campus bus loop at Sheridan College in 2009 + the implementation of six grid routes in 2009, al- lowing for more direct east- west and north-south trav- el on major cross-town streets, and all-day service to the Bronte GO Station Building Connections in Firearms Safety * opening a modern, 265,000-square-foot Silver LEED-certified transit op- erations facility on Wye- croft Road in 2011 + introduction of an in- telligent transportation system and control centre, with pre-board announce- ments, on-board stop an- nouncements (visual and auditory), and real-time Town of Oakville photo us tracking in 2 + free public Wi ri onall buses introduced just this month (September 2022) own currently plane to havean all-electric bus fleet in place by 2035. Firearms and other weapons can be found in households across the country. In most situations, their presence creates no problems for responsible gun owners and family members. However, firearms can pose a significant risk if someone in the home is living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Together in Safety is a public safety resource program created by the Firearms Safety Education Service of Ontario and the Chief Firearms Office of Ontario. Working with our partners, like the Alzheimer Society of Ontario, we are promoting awareness and education in firearms safety and harm prevention to all Canadians. If you are concerned for a loved one with a dementia diagnosis, visit for more information and resources.