Thursday 2 March 2017

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.