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.
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