FlixBus to stop in downtown Gananoque during six-month pilot program

By Keith Dempsey, Local Journalism Reporter, Brockville Recorder and Times

A new travel option is coming to Gananoque, as council has approved a  six-month pilot project to bring FlixBus service directly to the  downtown core.

At a special meeting on July 24, council voted unanimously to allow  Flix North America Inc. to establish a passenger stop in front of town  hall, adjacent to 30 King St. E. The stop will serve the Ottawa–Toronto  corridor, with two eastbound and two westbound trips operating Thursdays  through Mondays.

The service is set to launch on July 31 and run  until Jan. 14. A long-term agreement could follow depending on usage and  operational feedback.

“I think it is a wonderful opportunity  should residents and visitors come on board and take advantage,” said  Deputy Mayor Vicki Leakey. “That means sharing the advertising through  our tourism channels to Ottawa and Toronto to encourage people to come  for overnight stays by bus and enjoy town events, visit family, etc.  Also, for residents, the bus going west stops at Wellington Street in  downtown Kingston, giving opportunity for shopping or continuing on  Kingston Transit to go further in the city. This is at no cost to the  taxpayers, so I see this as an opportunity for our residents to  demonstrate it will be used.”

Council also approved a bylaw change to formally designate the area  as a passenger loading and unloading zone. The location, already a  no-parking space, requires no loss of public parking and will be marked  with FlixBus signage and QR codes for real-time tracking and ticket  purchases.

The project is part of the town’s broader strategy to  assess local transit feasibility. During the pilot, staff members will  monitor traffic flow, safety, and public interest.

Although some  concerns were raised about the narrowness of Park Street for eastbound  departures, town staff and FlixBus have committed to ongoing  collaboration to ensure safe routing. Emergency services and public  works raised no significant objections.

If successful, the town  will consider a standard annual occupancy fee of $1,007 for continued  use of the space, following the model used for seasonal patio programs.