Entry #57: Service Extensions

Since the Grand River Transit redesign, there's only a hand full of routes that have extensions on them or the extension has become part of the full routing. The routes that still have route extensions are routes 9 Lakeshore, 10 Conestoga College, 11 Country Hills, 16 Strasburg, 55 St. Andrews, and 59 Christopher. These are the only routes that have extensions, the 13 Laurelwood has an extension and runs year-round to Laurelwood/Blue Beach and route 23 has the Oldfield/Springmount extension incorporated into the route. 

The 9 extension, which the 9 serves the Waterloo Industrial Park (mainly Kumpf Drive) assists the industrial workers at night, the 9 extension operates at Sunday to Friday at 9pm. After 6:30pm on weekdays, route 10 is extended down Doon Villiage Road, Bechtel Drive, Pioneer Road, to Conestoga College and after the 10 serves Conestoga College it is extended to the College Residence. As a former Conestoga College student, I can say, that the 10 turning around within the College residence is a very bad idea. I personally believe that route 10 should be following the 61 routing out to the Cambridge Campus and turning around and coming back to the Doon Campus but have a layover at the Door Campus before departing back to Fairview. This way the 10 can not just collect students within Kitchener, it can also get the students in the Cambridge Campus. Route 11 has an extension, but it only operates on Sundays, but because of the roundabout construction on Ottawa Street, it runs 7 days a week, temporally though. The 11 is extended along Ottawa Street to Strasburg Road, and back onto Kingswood Drive. This way all of Kingswood has service. I have not been on the 11's extension since the start of the roundabout construction, I cannot say if the extension is busy or not. Route 16 Strasburg's extension is very interesting. When the 16 leaves Forest Glen Plaza to Conestoga College, it travels down all of Biehn Drive, turns around at the bottom and makes a right onto Black Walnut Drive continuing to Conestoga College. My first year at Conestoga College, I did take the 16 as the was part of its midday service, once I took it, i realized how useless the extension is. No one gets picked up, except for one person, I personally believe that the 16 should not have the Biehn extension, instead, have the 16 operate 2 ways to and from Conestoga College and Forest Glen into the Huron Village neighbourhood. The routing for the 16 would be Huron-Parkvale-Woodbine-Huron-Battler-Old Huron-Biehn-Black Walnut-Bechtel-Pioneer-Old Carriage-Homer Watson-Conestoga College Boulevard and into the college. 16 returning to Forest Glen plaza would be Doon Valley-Homer Watson-Old Carriage-Pioneer-Bechtel-Black Walnut-Biehn/Old Huron-Battler-Huron-Woodbine-Parkvale-Huron-Strasburg to Forest Glen. This way, the residence in the Huron Village would have more bus service during the day. For Cambridge route 55 St. Andrews, its service extension is traveling along Main Street and Grand Avenue, this extension is similar to route 11, it only operates on Sundays. Route 59 service extension is not very beneficial as it removes service from Langlaw Drive and has Service to the South Cambridge Shopping Centre, again just like the 55 and 11, it only operates on Sundays. 

Entry #56: 2017 Construction Season

It's construction season once again in Waterloo Region and with that comes many detours for transit riders. When the route you usually use every day can change during the Spring-Summer times, which means for other regular riders on the route, plan your trips accordingly and find the closest temporary stop for the route.

When construction season comes around, I personally believe that Waterloo Regional council and the transit planners should sit down and look at the areas that are going under construction, and add additional frequency to the routes. For example, Routes 200 iXpress, 1 Queen-River, 3 Ottawa South, 8 University-Fairview Park, 11, Country Hills, 20 Victoria-Frederick, and 22 Laurentian West.

Here are my thoughts on what the frequency of the routes should be during this construction season:

Route 1 Queen-River
Increased frequency between Fairview Park and Charles St. Terminal to 15 minutes

Routes 3 Ottawa South, 11 Country Hills, and 22 Laurentian West
Scheduling should be adjusted to accommodate traffic volumes along Ottawa Street

Route 8 University-Fairview Park/200 iXpress
Increased frequency on entire route due to road reconstruction along Weber Street

Route 20 Victoria-Frederick
Scheduling should be adjusted from 30 minutes to 20 minutes to accommodate traffic volumes along Victoria Street and Water Street

These are only my own thoughts, and probably won't be implemented.

Entry #55: Intercity Service

Before I get into any explanation on why I'm talking about intercity service for Waterloo Region (with respect to GO Transit) I will define the term intercity service.

Intercity Service: Transit that allows people to connect from one city to another using one or two buses or another method of transit service. For example GO Transit has 3 routes in Kitchener-Waterloo, the first is Route 25 Square One - connects UW and Mississauga, the second is Route 30 Bramlea GO-Kitchener GO, the third is new route 24 Cambridge-Milton - Connects Ainslie Street-Milton via Hespeler Rd., and Hwy 401 to Milton. These routes move people from Kitchener and Waterloo to Brampton, Milton and Mississauga cities without the hassle of traffic, and people save money on parking.

The reason why I am explaining intercity service is because, when I visit Toronto, there are busses from Mississauga, Brampton, York Region at certain subway stations and malls. This allows commuters during the AM and PM peak hours to get to and from work smoothly without the hassle of driving in heavy traffic. Then I got thinking, how come Waterloo Region doesn't have a couple busses operate from Kitchener to Guelph, or a couple busses operate from Cambridge to Brantford? By looking at how many people commute from Waterloo Region to Guelph and Brantford is a very large number, and by providing a more direct link between the cities surrounding Waterloo Region, more people would see Grand River Transit as a very good alternative to driving and spending a lot of money on gas.

The routes from Kitchener and Cambridge I would modify to go to Guelph and Brantford I will post below, please feel free to provide feed back. These ideas are just thoughts I came up with, and probably won't happen, but it is a good idea to get the gears for Regional Council going.

David's proposed Kitchener-Guelph Intercity service

Route 2 Forest Heights, 8 via Franklin 23 Idlewood
- Modify and combine routes 2 and 23 into a crosstown service connecting Fairview Park and the Boardwalk along the Ottawa Street North, Fairway North, Franklin Street Fischer-Hallman Road, Trussler Road, Ira Needles Boulevard and Frederick Street corridors.
- 2A will service Fairway North and Ottawa North to The Boardwalk, 2B will service Franklin-Frederick Street corridors.
- New Sunday service introduced on both branches.

Route 20 Victoria
- Revised route 20 to service the length of Victoria Street from The Boardwalk to the Downtown Guelph with making stops at Charles St. Terminal.
- Service frequency would be increased to 15 minutes
- Ner service along Centennial-Forwell Industrial area.

Route 34 Bingemans
- Extend route 34 from Shirley Avenue to University of Guelph via Victoria Street and return Downtown Kitchener. Route would have 7 day service.

David's Proposed Cambridge-Brantford Intercity service

200 iXpress
- Extend route from Ainslie to Brantford via Hwy 24 and King George Road and Lynden Mall. Frequency would remain the same.

Route 51 Hespeler Rd.
- Extend route 51 from Ainslie Terminal to downtown Brantford via Hwy 24 and King George Road. Frequency would remain the same.

Route 52 Coronation
- Extend route to downtown Brantford via the city of Paris along Hwy 2 and 403 and route would also connect to Lynden Mall. Frequency would remain the same.

Not only would people have more option of getting to work, but also going to visit Toronto, Mississauga, Orangeville, Brampton and so on. These are options to get people to see transit services as a money saver when travelling without the hassle of traffic and parking.

Entry #54: 2 years Later - 2015 Service Changes in Review

Back in September of 2015, the following routes we're changed and streamlined as The Region of Waterloo prepares for the ION LRT. After I've discussed the changes made by the Region, I will provide my own ideas for these routes and how they could have been improved.
The following routes were changed back in 2015:

Route 1 Queen-River

New East-West crosstown route that combined routes 1 Stanley Park and 25 Queen South that connects Fairview Park and The Boardwalk along the Ira Needles-Queen Street-Krug Street-River Road-Fairway Road corridors
15 Minute peak-hour service, 30 minute midday, evening and weekend

Route 2 Forest Heights
Combined route 2 Forest Hill and 24 Highland into an East-West route that connects Downtown and the Forest Heights West neighbourhood. Service has been extended from 6:30pm to 10pm.
New Saturday service from 7:30am to 10pm.
No Sunday Service

Route 7B
Streamlined route 7B the length of Weber Street

Route 8 via Franklin
Removed East Avenue extension, service to be streamlined along Weber Street to Ottawa Street.

Route 20 Victoria-Frederick
New East-West crosstown route that connects Stanley Park Mall and The Boardwalk along the Victoria Street-Frederick Street corridors. Route 20 also serves the Victoria Hills-Central Frederick-Heritage Park Neighbourhoods.
15 Minute peak-hour service, 30 minute midday, evening and weekend

Route 22 Laurentian West
New Sunday service from Highland Hills to Forest Glen Plaza

Route 23 Idlewood
modified route 23 to service Fairview Park Mall and Stanley Park Mall along the Fairway North corridor and the Idlewood-Lackner Woods neighbourhood. Service from 5:30am 10:30pm on weekdays and 6:30am to 9:30pm on Saturdays. No Sunday Service.

Route 27 Chicopee
Improved frequency of service to 30 minutes during evenings.

New Route 34 Bingemans
New 30 minute peak hour route that services the Bingeman Centre-Shirley Avenue industrial area.

200 iXpress
Streamlined to Hespeler Road

203 Maple Grove iXpress
New weekend service from 6:30am to 10pm on Saturdays and 9am to 10pm on Sundays.

204 Victoria-Highland iXpress
New East-West crosstown express route that connects Ottawa and Lackner and the Boardwalk walk along the Victoria Street-Highland Road corridors. 15 minute peak-hour service, 30 evening and weekend.


These are a lot of changes that happened in 2015. Since then many of these changes have been taken in with increased ridership, while others, have remained the same ridership. Now I will add my own personal ideas for the September 2015 changes

David's ideal 2015 Service Changes

Route 1 Queen-River
Since the combination of routes 1 Stanley Park and 25 Queen South, route 1 Queen-River has become an extremely busy route, you could say it has become busier than route 7. My idea for route 1 is to increase the frequency of service from 30 minutes during the midday and Saturdays to 15 minutes from 7am to 6pm. This way, adding 4 more buses to route 1 can help with the over crowding. No change to Sunday service.

Route 2 Forest Heights-Idlewood
Back in 2015, route 2 should have been removed from Charles St. Terminal due to a majority of the routes being removed and should have been proposed to be combined with route 23 as an East-West crosstown route, something similar to route 20 Victoria-Frederick. Route 2 should also have been proposed to service the Sunrise Centre, not just to make connections with routes 201 iXpress and route 22 Laurentian West, but to provide a more direct link to Sunrise Centre, due to the 22 taking so long and depending which direction a person catches it. When looking at the routing for route 2 (after  servicing Stanley Park Mall via Zeller) I would have the 2 going towards Driftwood/Westheights, go Ottawa-Courtland-Stirling-Highland-Hoffman-Homer Watson-Stirling-Greenbrook-Fischer-Hallman-Ottawa-Trussler-Highview-Driftwood-Westhights-Rolling Meadows then the same way back to Fairview Park. In addition to removing the 2 from Downtown, I would look at adding Sunday service between Fairview Park and Stanley Park Mall only, every 30 minutes from 10am to 7:30pm. Route 2, during the AM and PM peak hours would interline with route 8 via Franklin/Wilson, and during midday, and weekends, route 7 and 7A would interline.

Route 7 Mainline
discontinued the 7F via Wilson, increased 7A to every 15 Minutes and interlined 7A with route 2 on midday, evenings and weekends. 7F would be modified by the 8 via Franklin.

Route 8 via Franklin
With the 8 franklin and the 7B both servicing Weber street, it seems redundant to have both service Weber, so, I would extend the 8 via Franklin along Fourth/Wilson and interline it with the 2 during the AM and PM rush-hours. This would provide more direct service to downtown.

Route 20 Victoria-Frederick
The biggest complaint I've heard from passengers is that the 20 no longer services Charles St. Station downtown Kitchener. That is a mistake. The 20 should remain at Charles St. until the King/Victoria station has become operational. This way the 20 can provide connections to Frederick Street Mall, Stanley Park Mall and the Boardwalk without competing with route 1 Queen-River.

Route 22 Laurentian West
Route 22 should be combined with route 11 Country Hills. I like the idea that the 11 and 22 interline at Forest Glen, but by combining routes 11 and 22 into a crosstown route, it would help provide a more direct way from Highland Hills to downtown.

Route 27 Chicopee
Route 27 is one of the quietists routes at GRT. Route 27 should be combined with a busier route, like route 10, so it can get ridership levels up. The 27 also needs its summer day service reinstated because a lot of people need the 27 to Freeport Health Centre.

Route 34 Bingemans
Bingemans's finally has bus service, but it is only during the AM and PM peak-hour. Personally, I'd have the 34 (during the Summer time and any other time Bingemans has an event) is to have the 34 service Bingemans property. Saturday and Sunday service would also help the 34.

203 iXpress
Since the introduction of the 203 iXpress going from Cambridge Centre to Conestoga College, which is the time it's busiest, the short-turn at Sportsworld needs to go. There are students wanting the 203 serving Doon and Cambridge Campuses not just during the AM and PM peak-hour, even weekends, this way the 203 can get ridership levels like the 201-202 and 204 iXpress.

204 iXpress
The only change I have for the 204 is to have it start at 7:30am and end it at 12am. This way people can make their connections downtown and along the route.

These are my changes that probably would help and get more ridership within the Region as well as get people and GRT ready to be integrated with ION.

Entry #53: 2017 Service Changes and proposed 2018 service changes

To my readers, I apologize for not posting any blogs since November of 2016. I've been keeping track of what is going to improve at Grand River Transit for 2017 as well as a glimpse of the proposed 2018 service changes. Without further questions, lets take a glance at the 2017 service changes

Grand River Transit 2017 Service Changes

Routes 9 Lakeshore, 13 Laurelwood, 31 Columbia, 200 iXpress and 201 iXpress
- connected routes 9, 13, 31, 200 and 201 to the UW Transit plaza

Routes 10/110
- Increase AM and PM peak hour service to 15 minutes
- Route 10 increase weekend service to every 30 minutes - Sundays every 30 minutes during midday
- Route 110 - Peak service during the summertime

Route 27 Chicopee
- Summer midday service returned

200 iXpress
additional trip at night

Routes 201-202 iXpress
Increase Fall/Winter/Spring service to every 10 minutes

Route 51 Hespeler
removed short-turns at Groh/Holiday Inn on Saturdays, more frequent service between Ainslie Street, Cambridge Centre and Hespeler on Saturdays

Route 52 Coronation
Additional trip at night via Cherry Blossom

Route 57 Blair
Midday service returned

Routes 56, 75, 203
Additional service to make connections at the new Cambridge Centre Station - added another bus to accommodate new scheduling for each route Monday to Saturday

Route 61 Fountain
- new evening service to approximately 10:30pm

Route 72 Cherry Blossom
- Revised route to service all of Vondreau Drive

This is all scheduling service for 2017, this will benefit people in the areas of service being reinstated. Route 61 operating later at night should have happened a long time ago, service to Conestoga College is very under serviced as at night and weekends as it is just the route 10 on weekends and evenings. The 205 Ottawa Street express has been delayed until the launch of ION, this being said, the 205's ridership won't meet for another few years.


With all these big scheduling changes happening this year, 2018 is a huge expansion year, let's take a look what's happening


Grand River Transit 2018 Service Expansion + Launch of ION LRT

Routes 1 Queen-River, 20 Victoria-Frederick & 204 iXpress
- Shifted routes to connect with ION Downtown Kitchener

Route 2
- combined with route 23 to make a crosstown service connecting the ION Fairway and Borden Stations

Route 3
- Expanded service to the Huron Village and Rosenburg area

Route 4
- Ends at Grand River Hospital ION

Route 7
- Streamlined route 7 to King Street and Connaught

Route 8
- Revised route 8 to service ION Fairway, ION Block Line and Downtown Kitchener via Courtlaned

Route 9
- Revised route to service ION Conestoga Mall, Northfield and UW Stations via Hazel Street, Weber Street and Northfield Drive

Routes 11 and 22
- Consolidate routes 11 and 22 into a loop connecting Block Line Station

Route 12
- Shifted route 12 to service Bleams to Fischer-Hallman and Westmount, more direct service to University and King connecting the Fairway Station and connects (interlines) with route 18 at Fairway Station and University and King

Route 14
- Connect to ION Northfield and Conestoga Mall stations

Route 16
- New evening service and connects to Block Line Station

Route 18
- New direct Weber Street route connecting Fairway Station and University and King via Weber Street and Downtown Kitchener, interlines with route 12 at Fairway and University and King

Route 19
- New route that services Conestoga Mall, Northfield, R&T Park and UW Stations via Northfield, Lakeshore Neighbourhood, Hagy Blvd.

Route 20
- Extended to Fairview Park via Franklin/Fourth/Wilson

Route 26
- New peak only service to the Huron Industrial area via Trillium Drive

Route 28
- New Belmont-Maragrate route connecting Grand River Hospital ION and Downtown Kitchener

Route 29
- Extended to Conestoga Mall replacing the route 12 routing via University/Weber/Lincoln/Bridge/Lexington/Davenport

Route 73
- Extended to Northfield Station

Route 92
-Consolidate route 92 to Ring Road and University/Columbia/Weber to the ION UW Station, improved frequency and hours of operation (additional service on midday, evening and weekends)

Route 200 iXpress
Operates between Fairview Park and Ainslie Terminal ONLY

Route 201 iXpress
- Extended to Block Line Station

Route 205 iXpress
- new route that connects with 204 iXpress at Ottawa/Lackner
- 15 Minutes Monday to Friday, 30 evenings and weekends
- Connects Borden and Mill Stations via Ottawa Street


2018 is a huge year for changes for GRT and South-West Kitchener, the only two things I would personally switch are the 2 and 20

Route 2
- Consolidate route 2 Forest Heights and 8 Franklin as a crosstown service via Franklin/Fourth/Wilson - providing a direct link between Stanley Park Mall, Fairway Station and Highland Hills Mall - new Sunday service between Stanley Park and Fairway Station

Route 20
- Consolidate routes 20 and 23 into a crosstown service connecting Downtown Kitchener and Fairway Station via Zeller Drive and Fairway Rd. - New Sunday service

Those are the only two I would switch up, as providing a direct link between Stanley Park Mall and Highland Hills for the 2 would benefit the seniors along Franklin Street and would increase the 2's ridership. As for consolidating route 23 with the 20, the 20 would get much busier than it is now, since the 20 is a direct route to The Boardwalk and Frederick Street Mall, connecting it at Fairway Station and having it service the 23's routing would benefit it.