Barrie, ON
City in Ontario
Canada
Barrie, ON and the Canadian government collaborate on a battery-electric bus pilot for the city
Barrie and the national Zero Emissions Transit Fund share the CAD 3.3 million price tag for the pilot. Transit officials will purchase two battery-electric buses along with chargers from two manufacturers for real-world comparisons. The pilot evaluates factors like battery performance in winter, vehicle maintenance, and driver experiences in comparison to traditional buses. A successful pilot may result in an expanded or full-fleet conversion as part of the city's 2050 net-zero goal.
Barrie, ON
Canada
Barrie, ON trials LittaTrap units in downtown locations for improved stormwater filtration
The LittaTrap is a customizable catch basin filter capable of capturing materials up to five millimeters in size. Barrie first piloted a LittaTrap on a heavily used street in 2019. The success of this initial unit led to an expanded pilot of 112 LittaTraps throughout downtown Barrie. City employees are measuring the amounts of sediment, plastics, and litter captured by devices during waste audits. This pilot seeks reductions in waste flowing from Barrie streets to Lake Simcoe.
Barrie, ON
Canada
Barrie, ON improves Kidd's Creek conditions with Sunnidale Stormwater Management Facility upgrade
City officials worked with Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority on countering the impacts of development on the creek. A dry stormwater pond outside of the facility was turned into an underground filtration system for excess water. This retrofit reduces the stormwater entering Kidd's Creek, thus contributing to lower phosphorous levels. Native plants and trees surrounding the pond attract beneficial species while restoring surfaces weakened by erosion.
Barrie, ON
Canada
Barrie, ON captures insights about local commerce with its Business & Employer Data Directory
Barrie conducted its first Business & Employer Data Survey of local companies with future updates based on annual surveys. The directory's main page highlights the number of employees, manufacturers, and exporting businesses in Barrie. Users find information on head offices in the city and population projections on the Statistics page. The Sectors section presents a map and graphs detailing local employment by industrial sector.
Barrie, ON
Canada
Barrie, ON looks for more efficient approach to public transportation with Transit ON Demand pilot
Commuters use the TOD app to request pick-ups and drop-offs at 34 bus stops in the pilot zone. The app optimizes routes for each bus to maximize the number of passengers per trip. Transit officials designed a trial area that connects TOD riders to other areas of the city by five fixed-route options. TOD buses operate from morning to early evening six days a week with the same fares as the traditional bus service.
Barrie, ON
Canada
Barrie, ON conducts pilot of automatic vehicle recognition system for parking enforcement
A city-owned vehicle is outfitted with exterior cameras and an analytics platform during the trial. Parked vehicle images are captured on each route including license plates, tire valve stems, and locations. The platform compares images from successive routes to determine if vehicles remain parked beyond maximum time limits. Barrie will use a refined version of this system to enforce parking reservations made through the HotSpot app in the future.
Barrie, ON
Canada