Brampton Transit/Zum

[ShonTron]

Some very interesting changes coming on September 8, some of which were not previewed at the April service consultations:

http://www.brampton.ca/EN/residents/transit/Schedules-Maps/Pages/September_Preview_Page.aspx

The Route 60 on Mississauga Road is the most interesting, IMO. I've asked about running a direct bus between Meadowvale and Mount Pleasant; told there weren't any plans, and boom, there it is. It's only during rush hours right now, but it provides a useful link between northwest Brampton, the GO train, and the Meadowvale industrial and office area.

I'm happy to see some useful service improvements and more grid-based routes.

 

[DKsan]

Some thoughts:

• 502 Main: so we get 12 minute AM mid-day frequency, and 10 minutes PM mid-day frequency. So more people are using it in the afternoon? Also Saturday and Sunday get a uniform 15 minute frequency.
• 6 James Potter: New route. James Potter Road is supposed to be a community collector like Fernforest/Mackay or North Park/Cotrelle, supposed to run between Bovaird and Steeles, but there's still a gap north of Queen, which is why at the moment it terminates at Queen. I do like that Brampton Transit resisted the almighty urge to shove another route into the Gateway Terminal.
• 19 Fernforest: One of my local routes, extended to Countryside Drive, finally
• 26 Mt. Pleasant: Get gridified! Was a quaint loop last year, guess enough subdivision roads were built
• 57 Charlois: A necessary evil, as ShonTron pointed out to me. It's what allows the 4 to be straightened, and the 6 not to go crazy on the west side. Still kind of crazy.

The Dixie Road Compilation

The 18 is my local route. I've been taking it *forever* (even from when it and the 19 were a giant loop of dooooooomm.)
So the changes to it are sorely welcome. We knew they were coming, but I wasn't actually expecting this much to it. You can skip this if you're not interested in the intricacies of route frequency.

So come fall, there will be three routes operating. The 18, between Countryside Drive (with a smaller loop at the north end thanks to the 19 extension) and the Myerside Loop. The 18B replaces the 18A (ugh, why couldn't just replace the 18A) between Trinity Common and Bramalea Terminal. And of course, the new 185, operated by Brampton and Mississauga, as a limited-stop express between Bramalea and the Transitway.

The 18 gets 10 minute rush hour frequency. It was 15 for the last few years, 7.5 with the 18A overlaid onto it. This is from Countryside to Meyerside. In addition, because the 18B runs at 15-30 minute frequencies between Peter Robertson and Clark during rush hours, there are time when the rush service on Dixie will be every five minutes between those two roads. Same thing happens south of Clark, as the 185 adds additional rush frequency on top of the 18's 10 minute service.

And I'm done.

 

[doady]

So 18+ frequency will be reduced south of Bramalea. So that's why there is 185 now. It's just replacing the 18A.

I probably mentioned this before but I think 10 and 40 are strange. Just have 10 along Rutherford and 40 along West Dr (or have Misssissauga extend 51 along West Dr to Bramalea City Centre). These loops are too big. It's a huge gap in the grid too. Between Kennedy and Dixie there is no north-south route (in addition to the lack of an east-west route between Queen and Steeles). They should have fixed this a long time ago if they are serious about grid.

I think Brampton Transit in general is not good with loops. Mississauga's loops are much more useful.

 

[ShonTron]

The only areas that get any service reductions are on Route 21, which goes from 30 minute rush hour-only service to 50 minute service (why bother, then?), and areas served by route 51 in evenings and weekends, where the 30 minute base service offered goes down to every 45 minutes.

I'd still like to completely clean up routes 8, 10, 21, 40 and MT route 51, running north-south routes on Centre Street (new Route 8 Centre between Shoppers World-Trinity Common), Conestoga Blvd-Rutherford Road between Heart Lake and Steeles/Kennedy (Route 10 Rutherford), Route 40 Orenda (rush hours between Queen/Kennedy and Bramalea GO), and run MT Route 51 to Bramalea Terminal via West Drive.

 

[TOareaFan]

 

[DKsan]

Brampton Transit's Fall 2016 Service Plan Concepts are out.

It's very...underwhelming this year. Big decision is whether the Queen West Zum corridor will be a continuation of the 501/A westbound and then north, or the 505 Bovaird west, south, then east. Queen West Zum is supposed to have 15 peak headways, 20 minute midday/Saturday/Sunday day service, no evening service.

The 18 Dixie north extension, which was supposed to happen last year, is proposed to happen this year...if the road get reconstructed and intersection build at Dixie/Inspire.

The 1 Queen will be extended to Mt. Pleasant via Queen and Mississauga. Existing terminus loop will be 1A. Service changes with 56 Springbrook, 60 Mississauga, and others to be sorted out.

When Peel Memorial's new hospital opens, 1/A will loop in campus. 52 McMurchy extended from downtown to serve hospital as well.

 

[ShonTron]

^Ah, I see I was beaten!

The September 2016 proposals are now up on the Brampton Transit website. The PDF (downloadable on the page I linked to) is almost 20MB.

I'm underwhelmed.

The only major changes are in the west end, as Queen West Zum is introduced between Downtown Brampton and Mount Pleasant GO via Queen Street and Mississauga Road. This is part of the provincial/federal funding plan, so BT is implementing it, but in my opinion, it's not yet ready. It's not yet clear if this will be through serviced with 505 Bovaird (with no service after 7PM, 7 days a week), or one of Route 501/501A (which would provide 7/day week service into the late evenings). It would be paralleled with a re-routed Route 1.

It affects the Flowertown neighbourhood (Route 1 is also restructured in the west), while simple improvments to Routes 56 and 60 would have done the job. They're handcuffed by collector roads like James Potter that aren't yet completed.

The rest is very tame. A short extension of 18 Dixie, changes to route 35, a straightening of route 53 (but not cleaning up of the long one-way loop of Route 52), running route 1 and 52 into the new Peel Memorial "Hospital."

Maybe I'll be able to go to one of the PICs next week.

 

[Guneet]

Zum 501/501A work exactly as per their scheduled times.
Few times I have planned to take Zum 505 and then 501A towards east bound direction. Zum 505 are never as per their scheduled time. Yesterday it reached 13 mins late to goreway stop, then ofcourse we missed the next bus.
Like 501, Bovaird buses should keep track of scheduled times which appear on the website.
Whatever we say Zum buses are affordable and good transportation for toronto or Mississauga etc

 

[TOareaFan]

looks like Peel Transit ain't happening any time soon.

http://www.bramptonguardian.com/new...in-talk-about-forming-peel-transit-authority/

 

[Dan416]

I see little point in creating a Peel Regional Transit when there is still talk about dissolving Peel Region entirely.

 

[gweed123]

looks like Peel Transit ain't happening any time soon.

http://www.bramptonguardian.com/new...in-talk-about-forming-peel-transit-authority/

Based on the article, it sounds like the mayors are more open to a true regional transit system, as opposed to a Peel Region system. That certainly makes sense, as the tide seems to be moving towards regional integration. There's not much sense in creating Peel Transit when it could very likely be absorbed into something even larger in the coming years.

If this discussion was being had 10 years ago, I'd have said Peel Transit makes sense. DRT was created around that time. But today, I think it'll be either GTHA-wide or nothing.

 

[doady]

Peel Region is very awkward. Just three large municpalities, and two of them don't even touch each other. And one of them doesn't even want transit, and it can't support transit service anyways.

If it was Halton-Peel Region, just one region instead of two, it would be a different story. Then one regional transit system would make more sense. Because it would be an actual regional transit system, unlike Peel Region Transit, which would literally just be Mississauga + Brampton Transit.

Think about why there is no Halton Region Transit either. It is similar problem as Peel Region.

 

[gweed123]

Peel Region is very awkward. Just three large municpalities, and two of them even touch each other. And one of them doesn't even want transit, and it can't support transit service anyways.

If it was Halton-Peel Region, just one region instead of two, it would be a different story. Then one regional transit system would make more sense. Because it would be an actual regional transit system, unlike Peel Region Transit, which would literally just be Mississauga + Brampton Transit.

Think about why there is no Halton Region Transit either. It is similar problem as Peel Region.

Yup, agreed. YRT made sense because of the number of municipalities in the region, including quite a few small ones, who on their own would have barely been able to muster a bare bones system. Same, to a lesser extent, with Durham Region (Ajax comes to mind, not sure why that's even a separate city to be honest).

Peel is really just two big cities that almost act like single-tier cities, and a largely rural 3rd town.

 

[DKsan]

Ontario Investing in Advanced Transportation Technologies

CUTRIC is also partnering with Brampton Transit to lead the Pan-Ontario Electric Bus Demonstration Trial, a large-scale demonstration trial of zero-emission buses by seven transit agencies. The project will also involve a number of partners from transit agencies to utilities and bus manufacturers to demonstrate how electric buses can help the province meet its GHG emissions targets.

 

[Transportfan]

...unlike Peel Region Transit, which would literally just be Mississauga + Brampton Transit.

I don't see why that would be a problem. I don't think DRT doesn't serve the northern municipalities.

And a Peel transit system could connect to Bolton and development is planned north of Mayfield.