The numbers are in and have been tallied – MiWay – the new Mississauga transit recorded its highest ever ridership achieving a 5.9 per cent increase in its 2011 ridership over 2010.

"We surpassed our growth expectations for 2011 with this 5.9 per cent increase in ridership and we are extremely proud of this accomplishment," said Geoff Marinoff, director of Transit. "We are proud to be contributing to the City of Mississauga's goal of being a transit-oriented city."

Marinoff added that in 2011, MiWay carried 32.8 million revenue rides and customers boarded a MiWay bus almost 49 million times. Ridership has been on an upward trend in recent years. In 2010, there was a 5.2 per cent increase and in 2008 there was a 4.8 per cent increase.

"Our growth in 2011 is directly related to the investments in improving transit for the residents of Mississauga and we are committed to continually improving the travel experience for our customers," Marinoff said.

Investments in Transit:

• Introduction of 43 new MiLocal (orange) fuel-efficient and fully accessible buses
• Automated next stop announcement technology installed on all MiWay buses
• PRESTO card readers installed on all MiWay buses
• Retired the last high-floor bus from service - all buses in the transit fleet are now fully accessible
• Video/audio surveillance systems installed on all MiWay buses to enhance passenger safety and security
• Introduced more frequent service, extended service hours and additional weekend service to serve the growing number of customers who travel on the Hurontario-Main Street corridor (see: miway.ca/hurontario)
• Introduced the City's first smartphone app (MiWay app) for iPhone/iPod touch devices (www.miway.ca/app) to complement the award-winning MiWay Mobile Site (m.miway.ca)
• Implemented a MiWay Student Ambassador program to engage Mississauga’s youth and to encourage transit use at Secondary Schools

As Canada's sixth largest city, Mississauga is home to 734,000 residents and 55,000 businesses, including 63 Fortune 500 companies with Canadian head offices or major divisional head offices. A diverse, progressive and award-winning municipality located on the shores of Lake Ontario in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area, Mississauga is "Leading Today for Tomorrow" by focussing on delivering services, implementing its Strategic Plan, delivering value for money and maintaining infrastructure.

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