Grand River Transit

[Markster]

In the wake of the public infosession regarding the new UW bus mall, TriTAG has a new post:

Missing the connection: Will the University iXpress bypass ION?

Grand River Transit is investing in a new transit plaza next to the University of Waterloo’s ION station. But they have no stated plan to connect the 202 University iXpress with this location. In fact, they propose to have the 202 drive over the tracks and not stop near ION at all. How could this be? See the plans yourself, and then tell GRT you want the 202 to connect with ION.

Basically, it seems that UW doesn't want GRT running buses from University Ave up to the bus mall between Ring Road and Philip.
And in response, GRT has... well, done nothing.  None of the routes on University Ave will connect with ION.  A stop at University and the Laurel Trail to allow a walking transfer hasn't even been considered.



TriTAG is proposing that, while connecting to the bus mall is preferred, but UW simply won't allow it, then the 202 should be rerouted to Seagram to connect with the Laurier stop.  But GRT's current plan, which is to do absolutely nothing, is not acceptable, if we're supposed to be building a transit network.

Considering that it is at the behest of UW that the Region chose to build a mid-block station, as opposed to ones at University and Columbia, it is unacceptable that UW should refuse the operational consequences of this decision.