The new beach bus in Lakeshore will begin today.
The pilot program was approved in early June as council heard there’s been a surge in visitors to Lakeview Park West Beach since Sandpoint Beach in Windsor closed which has caused increased traffic, limited parking and overall congestion with nearby residents raising concerns about vehicles parking in surrounding neighbourhoods.
The free shuttle bus will run on weekends and holiday Mondays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., with regular and frequent trips from the Atlas Tube Recreation Centre.
Weekly beach testing results from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit show higher than acceptable levels of E. Coli at the Belle River beach and swimming is not recommended, however signs are posted to alert the public.
Executive Director of Community Services Vanessa Stratton says the service is meant to address issues raised by the public and she’s hoping people take advantage. “Success looks like we have Hawaiian shirts and bucket hats that ride the bus but at the same point, we want people to use it and we want to be able to bring a report back to council to potentially continue it or look at other options if those are applicable.”
Manager of Bylaw Compliance Bill Tetler says additional bylaw officers will be deployed. “The focus of the increased patrols from a bylaw perspective will be focused on parking, park related issues, smoking, BBQing, use of motorized vehicles in the park which includes e-bikes and e-scooters.”
Council approved just shy of $9,000 for the service and about $15,000 for bylaw enforcement overtime.
The municipality is looking for feedback on how to improve the beach bus which could become a seasonal service.
The shuttle will continue until September 7, 2026.