A staff report presented to the Town's community services committee recently showed that ridership during the program period, which ran from June 1, 2007 to the end of last month, increased by 63 per cent compared to 2006 levels. This means an average of 3,800 additional rides per month could be attributed to the initiative.

"The results of the program far exceeded our expectations, and we would like to thank our sponsors, Mattamy Homes and Fieldgate Developments, for making this pilot project possible," said Mayor Gord Krantz. "Most importantly, we would like to thank Milton residents who took advantage of this fare-free program to try Milton Transit. We hope they will continue to find Milton Transit a convenient and valuable service."

Milton was the first community in Canada to implement a transit-wide fare-free program for an extended period of time. It was initiated to increase transit ridership during off-peak travel hours and targeted Milton residents who could most benefit from a fare-free service, including seniors, students and families with infants or young children.

Passengers were allowed to ride for free from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Included in the fare-free program were shuttle services for the Downtown Street Party, which commemorated Milton's 150th anniversary, and the holiday shopping program that provided free seasonal service on Saturdays in December.

Milton Transit will welcome four new low-floor buses in the spring. The vehicles will be larger than the current buses leased from Oakville Transit and provide full accessibility.

"Investing in public transit remains a priority for town council," said Krantz. "We continue to look for ways to enhance and extend service levels. We hope the positive response received by residents during the fare-free program is an indication of greater things to come for our local transit system."

For more information visit www.milton.ca.