Niagara Parks Commission People Mover
Encyclopedia
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.
from Table Rock Point
by the Horseshoe Falls
, downstream to the Floral Clock in the north. The stops along the route serve attractions including:
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.
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:
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:
and Fallsview
tourist areas.
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The service links the various tourist sights and attractions along the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
side of the Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
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
Queen Victoria Park
Queen Victoria Park is the main parkland located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada opposite the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Established by a Provincial Park Act in 1885 and opened in 1888, the park is operated by the Niagara Parks Commission and is considered the centerpiece of the...
. 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
Dufferin Islands
Dufferin Islands are a group of scenic man-made islands located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, approximately 1/2 mile south of the Horseshoe Falls...
. 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
Niagara Parks Commission
The Niagara Parks Commission, or Niagara Parks for short, is an agency of government of Ontario which maintains the Ontario shoreline of the Niagara River.- History :...
, 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.
Service
The 32 km (19.9 mi) system operates along the Niagara ParkwayNiagara Parkway
The Niagara Parkway, formerly known as Niagara Boulevard and historically as the Niagara Road, is a scenic road in the province of Ontario that travels on the Canadian side of the Niagara River from the town of Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake...
from Table Rock Point
Table Rock, Niagara Falls
This article is about the former rock formation in Niagara Falls. For the retail complex bearing its name, please see Table Rock Center.Table Rock was a large shelf of rock which jutted out from the Canadian shore of Niagara Falls, Ontario, just north of the present day observation and commercial...
by the Horseshoe Falls
Horseshoe Falls
The Horseshoe Falls, also known as the Canadian Falls, is part of Niagara Falls, on the Niagara River. Approximately 90% of the Niagara River, after diversions for hydropower generation, flows over Horseshoe Falls. The remaining 10% flows over the American Falls...
, downstream to the Floral Clock in the north. The stops along the route serve attractions including:
- The Journey Behind the FallsJourney Behind the FallsJourney Behind the Falls is an attraction in Niagara Falls, Ontario located in the Table Rock Center beside the Canadian Horseshoe Falls...
- The Maid of the MistMaid of the MistThe Maid of the Mist is a boat tour of Niagara Falls. The boat starts off at a calm part of the Niagara River, near the Rainbow Bridge, and takes its passengers past the American and Bridal Veil Falls, then into the dense mist of spray inside the curve of the Horseshoe...
boat cruise - The foot of the Clifton HillClifton Hill (Niagara Falls)Clifton Hill is one of the major tourist promenades in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The street, close in proximity to Niagara Falls and the Niagara River, leads from River Road on the Niagara Parkway to intersect with Victoria Avenue. The street contains a number of gift shops, wax museums, haunted...
tourist promenade - The Whirlpool Aero CarWhirlpool Aero CarThe Whirlpool Aero Car or Spanish Aero Car is a cable car located in Niagara Falls, Ontario that transports passengers over a section of the Niagara River referred to as the Niagara Whirlpool.-History:...
At Table Rock Point, the People Mover connects with a free shuttle bus to and from the Rapidsview parking lot
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
, with its hotels and casinos.
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:
- Adult $8.85* Children 6-12 $5.35* Children under 5 FREE
Fleet
Orion Bus Industries
Orion International, previously Orion Bus Industries and Ontario Bus Industries in Canada and Bus Industries of America in the United States, is a bus manufacturer based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and established by the Government of Ontario in 1975...
of Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades...
, are powered by propane
Propane
Propane is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula , normally a gas, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used as a fuel for engines, oxy-gas torches, barbecues, portable stoves, and residential central...
and have been in service since the mid 1980s. The fleet comprises:
- 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 HillClifton Hill (Niagara Falls)
Clifton Hill is one of the major tourist promenades in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The street, close in proximity to Niagara Falls and the Niagara River, leads from River Road on the Niagara Parkway to intersect with Victoria Avenue. The street contains a number of gift shops, wax museums, haunted...
and Fallsview
Fallsview Tourist Area
The Fallsview Tourist Area in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada is the main tourist attraction surrounding the Falls. In recent years, it has become the home many of the hotels in the city, such as: the Hilton Hotel, Marriott, and the recently-opened Comfort Inn Fallsview. Niagara Fallsview Casino...
tourist areas.