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ShonTron
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A lot of the work was done a few years ago on Bovaird Drive when the Region of Peel rebuilt the road (some bus queue jumps are ready to go and already used) - but there are intersections that need right turn lanes/directional islands reconstructed to permit though bus operation. And there's the installation of the Zum shelters and a few new or extended bus bays.
DKsan
Active Member
It will, if the PIC from March is any indication, continue on and go down Humberwest Parkway and loop at Queen/Goreway, connecting to the 501/A.
There already is an express to the airport, the 115, which...in actually pretty express.
TOareaFan
Superstar
Well these works that they have tendered for seem to indicate that this line will terminate at Airport Road (at least for now).
The difference between the 115 and my dreamed of Zum 505 to Airport is that the 115 needs most people to get to the BCC to take it. If the 505 continued down Airport to the terminals (via the Malton GO station) it would provide 1 transfer transit from pretty much all of Brampton (as it would cross paths with each of the existing Zum lines) to the airport and would also provide people a public transit alternative to the UPE.....riders from east and west could take the KW GO to Malton then transfer with their Presto Cards onto a Zum bus right to the terminal.
Limiting the number of transfers to 1 or less is even more important to airport bound travellers due to a) needing to get there at a certain/fixed time to catch a plane and b) the amount of luggage they may have may make transfers more of a pain than normal.
ShonTron
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505 will terminate at Queen and Goreway - there's simply no need for other road works as the extension past Airport Road will be non-stop and will use existing station on Queen.
Evening
New Member
The ultimate plan is to have the 505 go to the airport either via Airport Rd (which makes most sense) or via Bramalea rd/Steeles/ and Airport Rd (don't know how that will work). I agree, I would prefer it to go to the airport now but im guessing they don't have enough money -- look at zum steeles, not all the construction is finished after 2 years.
DKsan
Active Member
Zum Steeles is dragging itself because the Region of Peel is in charge, and several of the intersections (Dixie/Steeles and Dixie/Bramalea) have other things going on.
TOareaFan
Superstar
Adding Zum to fairly wide, modern roadways like Bovaird (and much of Airport is too) is not very expensive. The entire capital cost of building out Bovaird (Mt. Pleasant to Airport Road) is about $10 mil. Even if (for some reason) the Bovaird to the Airport part was twice that...is $20 million all that much to connect the entire city of Brampton and anyone on the KW GO line to the airport by modern/comfortable reasonably fast express buses at public transit prices?
Evening
New Member
Even if the capital costs were low, I think it would be too expensive to operate for them now. I have emailed them several times since Zum Queen started to extend the line down to Downsview via the York University busway so we have a direct connection to the subway until the subway is extended into Vaughan. Each time they have responded back with a no. I think it would be very good for Brampton to have a direct connection to the subway but they still responded no. You have to admit that a connection the subway is much more important than one to the airport and less costly to run presumably as the addition is less time/resource consuming than adding a segment to the 505 from Queen to the Airport. I think they are so adamant against it because they simply don't have the money right now to increase service that dramatically. Too bad, because I (along with a lot of other people) could really save a lot of money by taking the Zum instead of the GO to connect to the subway.
I fully agree with your thoughts about expanding to the Airport though and hope Brampton does make that priority (once they connect to the subway).
To give credit to Brampton though, all this things are planned for the future, they are just not happening now when we really really want it.
DKsan
Active Member
There are three "proto" Zum lines that will take place in the next 5 years. We have one, the 115 Airport Express. For all the grievances of it going between the mall and the airport, it's fairly well used (especially airport employees). The 100 series will be limited stop expresses. The 115 will eventually be a 115 Bramalea, between the hospital and the airport, via. Bramalea, connecting three Zum lines. There's also apparently plans for a 107 Kennedy and 118 Dixie, the two highest frequency north-south bus corridors outside Hurontario-Main, but the to and from haven't been determined yet.
There will probably be an Airport Road Zum. It's not in Phase Two and I think, in the spirit of the grid that Brampton Transit is trying to keep, it should stay separate from a 505 Bovaird (I think even the regular 5 is just way too long of route).
There will probably be an Airport Road Zum. It's not in Phase Two and I think, in the spirit of the grid that Brampton Transit is trying to keep, it should stay separate from a 505 Bovaird (I think even the regular 5 is just way too long of route).
TOareaFan
Superstar
There are two sides to the operating budget. Extending the Queen Zum to Downsview station would add some cost with no offsetting revenue....extending the 505 down to the airport would have points along the way where new revenue would be generated.
I also am not sure who controls the Downsview busway and if it is as simple as BT just deciding to run along it.
Evening
New Member
I feel like a connection to the subway would spur an increase in a ridership too and should offset some of the costs.
I believe the TTC controls the busway and it is possible they charge other agencies to use it. This might be adding to the cost of expanding the route.
Evening
New Member
I sort of agree with you in terms of maintaining the grid but the 505 turning to connect to the airport would be very nice too. I don't live near bovaird so I would get no benefit from this but Im sure it would make transit much more attractive for the ppl who do live on Bovaird. When North East Brampton is built up though and requirements to expand north on Airport and East on Bovaird come, this routing will cause some problems as there will be opposition for splitting the route.
ShonTron
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I think a route 130 Airport Road limited stop service, running to the airport, is a great idea, especially if it were a Monday-Friday service to start. At least 100-series routes are more flexible than 500-series routes in scheduling and service hours.
I think it's great that Brampton Transit has a pretty good direct airport service. In fact, it's better than Mississauga's route 7 at many service times (every 30 minutes Saturdays vs 45 min on MT 7). The transfer from BT 115 to TTC 192 is a nice alternative route to the subway.
I agree that it would be nice too to see the 501/A go to Downsview, but remember that YRT cut all Viva Orange off-peak service to Downsview. If the transfer between BT/YRT and the 196 not be such a PITA, it wouldn't be a big deal. The 501 will go to the subway when it opens in 2 1/2 years. Right now, it would add about 45 minutes of running time for both branches, without passenger turnover revenue.
I think it's great that Brampton Transit has a pretty good direct airport service. In fact, it's better than Mississauga's route 7 at many service times (every 30 minutes Saturdays vs 45 min on MT 7). The transfer from BT 115 to TTC 192 is a nice alternative route to the subway.
I agree that it would be nice too to see the 501/A go to Downsview, but remember that YRT cut all Viva Orange off-peak service to Downsview. If the transfer between BT/YRT and the 196 not be such a PITA, it wouldn't be a big deal. The 501 will go to the subway when it opens in 2 1/2 years. Right now, it would add about 45 minutes of running time for both branches, without passenger turnover revenue.
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Evening
New Member
Sigh...I suppose what you are saying is right and Brampton transit (as it usually does) made the right call. Guess I gotta wait until 2016 to zum to the subway.