Fort Erie leads region in microtransit ridership, new report shows

Brent Jones
April 18, 2025 at 6:15 AM

Fort Erie residents continue to make strong use of microtransit services, with the town recording the highest ridership across Niagara in the first quarter of 2025, according to new data released by the Niagara Transit Commission.

Between January and March 2025, Fort Erie logged 25,389 passenger boardings through the Niagara Transit Plus (NT+) commingled specialty service, operated by Voyago. The service, which integrates on-demand microtransit with specialized transit under a unified contract, delivered 21,732 total trips in Fort Erie during this period.

Of these trips, 94 per cent were microtransit, conventional public transit operating in areas where fixed-route services are not feasible. Six per cent were specialized transit trips, which are regulated under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

More than 97 per cent of all trips taken by Fort Erie residents were intra-municipal, highlighting the importance of localized, accessible transportation.

The average ride distance was 7.06 kilometres, with passengers spending just under 14 minutes on board per trip.

The data was included in the Niagara Transit Commission’s Q1 2025 Commingled Specialty Service Report, which reviewed the performance of Voyago-operated transit services across all 12 local municipalities.

The report indicates that while ridership across the region slightly declined compared to Q1 2024, the overall two-year growth trend remains positive, and Fort Erie’s high adoption rate of microtransit has been cited as a model of success for the region.

In total, the NT+ system recorded more than 70,000 rides across Niagara during the first quarter. Of that number, nearly 36 per cent originated in Fort Erie.

Service enhancements over the past nine months–including upgrades to scheduling software, staff training, and vehicle availability–have contributed to increased reliability and customer satisfaction, according to the commission.

The Niagara Transit Commission also reported that nearly two-thirds of trips in Fort Erie were shared rides, a key metric for improving cost efficiency and reducing environmental impact.

App-based bookings accounted for the majority of reservations, with 19,300 trips scheduled through the mobile platform. Another 1,923 bookings were made via phone agents, and 509 were set as recurring subscriptions.

System-wide, the NT+ network supported 5,688 unique users in Q1 2025, including more than 1,100 who rely on mobility devices.

The 2024 Annual Report, released alongside the quarterly update, highlighted broader system-wide achievements, including a record 10.9 million rides across all services last year and a near 100 per cent service delivery rate on conventional bus routes.