Grand River Transit

[KevinL]

From Reddit: GRT Pay, a new app/site for mobile fare payments. Passes will continue to be restricted to EasyGO. GRT is doing some low key advertising of this service at bus stations, but the site and app are not functional yet.

https://www.grt.ca/en/fares-passes/grt-pay.aspx

The apps are now active, and there's now a 'buy ticket' option in the Transit app.

[ac3r]

For what is basically a cheap app made over a weekend which basically boils down to displaying a .png file on someone's phone, I sure hope they didn't spend a goofy amount of money on this. It illustrates the need for a fully functional app too.

If we want transit to grow within the region, making it easy to use matters just as much as accessibility and reliability. If everyone in the region had access to a high quality, well designed all round transit app for their phone it would make a lot more people willing to take a bus. People like convenience and it is not convenient to use the transit in Waterloo Region. You can use change, but fewer and fewer people carry that. You can buy a single ticket a LRT station, but that's annoying to do because of how shit the machines are and how slow it takes to process it sometimes but I guess this app may assist. There's the EasyGO card obviously, but it sucks in numerous ways as well which aren't really worth going over. For first time transit riders this is not very straightforward, prone to failure and doesn't leave a good impression and it doesn't help with user retention. If someone thinks well I'll try the bus or LRT out for once so I can go for a walk or to the mall, but the entire experience sucked then they'll just continue to drive.

Getting a high quality, well designed app made that people can use for everything would really boost ridership a lot. I suspect it wouldn't be very easy, though, because of the weird patch job of systems in place that the buses, MobilityPLUS and LRT all use. It would be costly and messy. But the longer you go without improving the technologies people have available to use with their transit experience, the longer people just think the transit in the region sucks and continue to avoid it. Then by the time all these things do become available, it's years too late.

[plam]

People were talking about easyGO vs Presto etc etc. Meanwhile in NZ that system is also apparently over schedule and over budget (NZ$1B which is still a lot in real dollars).

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/5442...em-delayed

[MidTowner]

Go Transit route 15 to Brantford has also been given an extension to Six Nations, which is nice. 

It's too bad GRT does not have a route from Cambridge to Brantford- it could. Burlington Transit has the 1 Plains Express, which runs from downtown Hamilton to Appleby Go, about 21 kilometres. Ainslie Terminal to Brantford Bus Terminal is 25 kilometres.


Maybe Waterloo Region would want an agreement with Brantford Transit to support part of the cost since most of the route and the destinations would be in Brantford. I think the case is stronger when a trip to Brantford Bus Terminal also means transit connectivity to Six Nations for people with connections there who live in Cambridge, and for residents there to have access to services in Waterloo Region.

[neonjoe]

Go Transit route 15 to Brantford has also been given an extension to Six Nations, which is nice. 

It's too bad GRT does not have a route from Cambridge to Brantford- it could. Burlington Transit has the 1 Plains Express, which runs from downtown Hamilton to Appleby Go, about 21 kilometres. Ainslie Terminal to Brantford Bus Terminal is 25 kilometres.


Maybe Waterloo Region would want an agreement with Brantford Transit to support part of the cost since most of the route and the destinations would be in Brantford. I think the case is stronger when a trip to Brantford Bus Terminal also means transit connectivity to Six Nations for people with connections there who live in Cambridge, and for residents there to have access to services in Waterloo Region.

https://linkthewatershedtransit.wordpress.com

[MidTowner]

Go Transit route 15 to Brantford has also been given an extension to Six Nations, which is nice. 

It's too bad GRT does not have a route from Cambridge to Brantford- it could. Burlington Transit has the 1 Plains Express, which runs from downtown Hamilton to Appleby Go, about 21 kilometres. Ainslie Terminal to Brantford Bus Terminal is 25 kilometres.


Maybe Waterloo Region would want an agreement with Brantford Transit to support part of the cost since most of the route and the destinations would be in Brantford. I think the case is stronger when a trip to Brantford Bus Terminal also means transit connectivity to Six Nations for people with connections there who live in Cambridge, and for residents there to have access to services in Waterloo Region.

https://linkthewatershedtransit.wordpress.com

Thank you! I've never heard of this!

[Acitta]

Grand River Transit shares 10-year expansion plan
Grand River Transit (GRT) is sharing an ambitious ten-year plan that could expand transit services in Waterloo Region.
The plan has three main focuses: expanding existing services and routes, providing transit options to the townships and increasing MobilityPlus and specialized services.

[KevinL]

This was first announced a few months back; the announcement today is an updated revision with more specifics.

See it all here: https://www.grt.ca/en/about-grt/grt-business-plan.aspx

[neonjoe]

The Wallaceton Frequent service is interesting especially since there is a building permit for a unit within that Wallaceton Marketplace for this

25-101195
Permit is for interior alterations for Grand River Transit Office for unit 403.

This would be in the unit between Tahinis and Scotiabank.
Layover bus pads on Fischer-Hallman also have already been poured. 

[Acitta]

Grand River Transit shares 10-year expansion plan
Grand River Transit (GRT) is sharing an ambitious ten-year plan that could expand transit services in Waterloo Region.
The plan has three main focuses: expanding existing services and routes, providing transit options to the townships and increasing MobilityPlus and specialized services.

Here is the article in The Record. 
Grand River Transit plan adds 625,000 hours of service in Waterloo Region over 10 years

[MidTowner]

I had missed this part:

"Along with the main focuses, the plan also aims to change fare pricing. Officials are proposing cheaper fares for people in need and free fares for kids under 12 riding with a fare-paying customer."

It would be long-past due. Charging children as young as 5 the adult fare, as we currently do, sends the message that transit here is not for families. Getting children on transit and showing them that it is a viable alternative is something we should be willing to spend on.

[nms]

The one that surprised me was the proposed Highway Express. The first is to be an extended 302 running from Conestoga Mall, to Fairway, then Ainslie.  The new 303 will run from the Sunrise Centre along the highway to Conestoga Mall.

• Introduce rapid services connecting Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo to improve speed and transit freedom
  
• Based on public feedback, the proposed highways express network has been revised and expanded:
  
• Combine 302 ION Bus with a direct highway connection between Fairway and Conestoga Stations; and
  
• Introduce a new highway route connecting Conestoga and Sunrise Centre Stations.
  
• Riders will get more time back in their day and save about 20 minutes on trips between Cambridge (Ainslie Terminal) and Waterloo (Conestoga Station)Transit trips across the tri-cities can better compete with car and rideshare
  
• The highway express and frequent transit network support ridership growth ahead of Stage 2 ION and Cambridge-Guelph passenger rail projects
  

The 10-year plan is silent on when Stage 2 might happen other than the part (quoted above) where they want to support ridership growth.

[MidTowner]

Tomorrow at 6:00pm is the Public Input Session on GRT's proposed Business Plan.

You can delegate or e-mail your councillor (or all of Council at RegionalCouncilAll@regionofwaterloo.ca) to share thoughts.