- Niagara Parks Commission People Mover
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Niagara Parks Commission
People Mover
Founded 1985 Locale Niagara Falls, ON, Canada Service area Niagara Parkway Service type bus service Operator Niagara Parks Commission Web site Peoplemover-Buses The Niagara Parks Commission People Mover is a bus service in the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. The service links the various tourist sights and attractions along the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls and the gorge downstream of it.
The current People Mover busses replaced the Victoria Park Viewmobile, which had begun service in 1971 in an effort to ease traffic congestion in Queen Victoria Park. The Viewmobiles were two red towing trailers attached to a tractor truck, and served the boundaries of the park, as well as the adjacent Dufferin Islands. The Viewmobiles were retired from service when the current system launched in time for the 1985 tourist season.
The People Mover service is operated by the Niagara Parks Commission, and is unusual in that it is operated by two-unit buses, comprising a motor unit towing a separate trailer. It should not be confused with the city transit bus service, operated by Niagara Falls Transit, although that also provides shuttle bus service to the falls area from various parts of the city.
Contents
Service
The 32 km (20 mi) system operates along the Niagara Parkway from Table Rock Point by the Horseshoe Falls, downstream to the Floral Clock in the north. The stops along the route serve attractions including:[1]
- The Journey Behind the Falls
- The Maid of the Mist boat cruise
- The foot of the Clifton Hill tourist promenade
- The Whirlpool Aero Car
At Table Rock Point, the People Mover connects with a free shuttle bus to and from the Rapidsview parking lot, with its hotels and casinos.[1]
The service operates every 20 minutes from April to October each year. A single all-day ticket, issued as a sticker, allows passengers to hop on and off the buses along the route. Fares for 2011 are as follows:[1]
- Adult $8.85* Children 6-12 $5.35* Children under 5 FREE
Fleet
Two-unit people mover bus
The service is operated by an unusual fleet of eleven two-unit buses, each comprising a motor unit towing a separate trailer. The buses were built by Orion Bus Industries of Mississauga, Ontario, are powered by propane and have been in service since the mid 1980s. The fleet comprises:[2][3]
- Orion Bus Industries IV 04.501 - motor unit
- Orion Bus Industries IV 04.502 - trailer
Future plans
There are plans to replace the buses with a some form of fixed route transit system, although no decision has been made on the exact technology to be used, or indeed whether to proceed with the plans. Most of the discussions centre around a loop service, which would combine the current route along the Niagara Parkway close to the falls and gorge, with a more inland return loop along a recently abandoned rail line serving the Clifton Hill and Fallsview tourist areas.[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "People Mover Buses". Niagara Parks Commission. http://www.niagaraparks.com/nfgg/peoplemover.php. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
- ^ "Niagara Parks Commission". transithub.net. http://www.transithub.net/npc.htm. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
- ^ a b "The Review - Remember the people mover?". Osprey Media. http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=458351&catname=Local%20News&classif=. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
External links
Categories:- Transportation in Niagara Falls, Ontario
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