Grand River Transit

Grand River Transit

File:Grtshadow.png
Wheelchair-accessible low-floor buses such as this Nova LFS now form the majority of the GRT fleet. The bus is also equipped with a bicycle rack on the front grille
Founded	2000
Headquarters	250 Strasburg Rd., Kitchener
Service area	Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, St. Jacobs, Elmira
Service type	Bus service, Paratransit
Fleet	196 buses
Daily ridership	40,000
Operator	Region of Waterloo
Website	www.grt.ca

Grand River Transit, or GRT, is the public transport operator for the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It operates daily bus services in the region, primarily in the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge.

It was named for the Grand River, which flows through the Region; the naming also echoes the Grand River Railway, a former electric railway which served the area in the early twentieth century. GRT is a member of the Canadian Urban Transit Association.

Overview

On January 1, 2000, the Region of Waterloo created GRT by assuming the operations of the former Kitchener Transit (which also served Waterloo) and Cambridge Transit from these cities. By the end of that year, operations had been fully synchronised and buses began running between Cambridge and Kitchener; as a result, ridership in Cambridge improved dramatically, and there have been increases in service, including Sundays and late evenings Monday-Saturday.

In recent years, many new low-floor, wheelchair-accessible buses have been purchased, principally from Nova Bus, Orion, and New Flyer, and these now constitute the majority of the fleet. Most operating buses are less than twenty years old, though a few older buses are used primarily for high-school special runs. GRT has also in recent years installed bicycle racks on the front of its buses in order to encourage the use of sustainable transport; all standard and express buses now have these racks.

Service to less dense areas is provided by the busPLUS system, large vans which take regular fares on scheduled routes to new neighbourhoods and more remote facilities; if ridership is sufficiently high, these services can later be replaced with regular buses, as happened with the 71 Melran route in Cambridge.

GRT also operates MobilityPLUS, which provides specialised transit for disabled patrons using minibuses equipped with wheelchair lifts.

The GRT fleet consists entirely of motor-buses; although the former Kitchener Transit operated trolleybuses earlier in their history, these had all been withdrawn during the 1970s, well before the systems were merged. They have continued operating 23 compressed natural gas-driven buses inherited from Kitchener Transit but have not expanded this fleet; these buses are to be retired before the end of 2009. Until the 1950s, the area was served by electric passenger and freight trains run by the Grand River Railway, who even earlier in the 20th century had run streetcars on city streets before the separated railway lines were built.

Effective September 1, 2007, all undergraduate students at the University of Waterloo are required to purchase a 4-month UPass for less than a quarter of the equivalent adult monthly pass.

On February 14, 2008, the members of CAW4304, which represents GRT employees, planned to go on strike. However a tentative agreement was reached before the deadline of 12:01 AM and the strike was averted.

History

Public transit in the Grand River area began with private operators and slowly gave way to municipal run service. Interurban and streetcar service were the earlier modes and by the mid 20th Century bus oriented transit became the norm.

Kitchener-Waterloo

• Berlin Gas Company 1888-1894 horsecar
• Berlin Street Railway 1894-1906 - electric car
• Berlin and Bridgeport Railway Company 1904-1906
• Berlin Public Utilities Commission 1906-1916
• Kitchener Public Utilities Commission 1916-1973; operated streetcars, buses and trolley cars
• Kitchener Transit 1973-2000
• Grand River Transit 2000–present

Cambridge

Public transit was provided to Galt and Preston before Cambridge was formed.

• Grand River Railway Company 1919-1957; bus and interurban electric service
• Galt, Preston City and Suburban Transit Co. 1921-1929; transit bus service
• Dominion Power and Transmission Company 1929-?; transit and interurban bus service
• Canada Coach Lines 1950-1962; transit bus service
• Galt Public Service Commission 1962-1973; transit bus service
• Cambridge Transit 1973-2000; transit bus service

Elmira

Elmira had bus service to Kitchener that ended in 1997. Currently the route 21 travels to Elmira from Conestoga Mall in north Waterloo. Riders can then transfer to another bus to get to Kitchener.

• Elmira-Kitchener Bus Lines 1922-1929
• Lishman Coach Lines Limited 1929-1979
• United Trails Incorporated 1975-1997

Grand River area also had interurban railway service from 1894 to 1955 by various operators.

iXpress

Main article: iXpress

An iXpress bus

The iXpress is bus rapid transit operated by GRT, consisting of two routes along main corridors in Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge. The older route, Route 200 (then known solely as the iXpress without a route number), launched in September 2005, and runs from Conestoga Mall in Waterloo and Ainslie Street Terminal in Cambridge primarily along King Street in Kitchener and Waterloo and Hespeler Road in Cambridge. The second route, route 201, runs from Forest Glen Terminal in Kitchener to Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, primarily along Fischer-Hallman Road in both cities.

Future expansion

Grand River Transit has purchased six Diesel-Hybrid buses which began service in late August 2008. To get the best use of their powertrain, these buses run on routes like Route 7 Mainline, which have frequent stops and heavy usage.

Rapid transit

Main article: Rapid transit in Waterloo Region

The Region of Waterloo is currently conducting an Environmental Assessment for the implementation of rapid transit in the area, which would boost more compact urban growth along the main corridor. A light rail line is expected to run from Conestoga Mall in Waterloo to Fairview Park in Kitchener, and a bus rapid transit line from Fairview Park in Kitchener to Ainslie Street Terminal in Cambridge.

Fares Effective July 1, 2012

Conventional Transit Fares

Item	Cost (CAD)	Comments
Cash Fares	$3.00	Children under 5 (alternately: 4 and under) ride FREE to a maximum of 3 children per paying adult customer
Adult Tickets	$10.50 ($2.10 x5)	Sold in strips of 5, valid for Adults, College Students and University Students
Reduced Tickets	$9.00 ($1.80 x5)	Sold in strips of 5, valid for Seniors, Elementary and High School Students; GRT Bus Operators may request customers show a GRT Student or Senior Photo ID at the time the fare is paid to prove elgibility for the use of reduced tickets
Adult Monthly Pass	$68.00	Valid for Adults, College Students and University Students ONLY; GRT Photo ID Required
Reduced Monthly Pass	$56.00	Valid for Seniors, Elementary and High School Students ONLY; GRT Photo ID Required
College Pass	$227.00	Valid for 4-month term
UPASS (Universal Pass)	$67.50 (Effective Sept. 1/10)	Cost deducted for each semester directly through tuition paid by University Students Full-Time Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Waterloo Undergraduate and Graduate Students may use their UPASS year-round. All other students including (but not limited to) UW ELI Students, Part Time Students etc. do not qualify for UPASS privileges and must purchase Adult fare media. Using the UPASS: Students show their University Student Card (Laurier OneCard/Waterloo WatCard) as their UPASS to the bus operator when boarding GRT buses. The card is only valid as a UPASS for the person shown/named on the card until the expiry date printed on the front of the card. Invalid, fraudulent, expired cards etc. may be confiscated by GRT (subject to the UPASS agreements with WLU and UW) and returned to the issuing University. It is the cardholder's (read student's) responsibility to ensure they maintain a valid UPASS. Student cards remain the property of the issuing university.
Day Pass/Sunday & Holiday Family Pass	$6.00	Valid for 1 Customer for Regular Weekday and Saturday Service; valid for 2 Adults and up to 3 Children, or 1 Adult and up to 4 children on Sundays and Statutory Holidays
Student Summer Pass	$95.00	Valid July and August for Elementary and High School Students; GRT Photo ID Required and included in the price
Corporate Pass	$58.35	Payroll deduction for employees of participating major employers

MobilityPLUS Urban Area Fares

Item	Cost (CAD)	Comments
Cash Fare & Ticket Price	2.50	Permanent registered MobilityPLUS users ride conventional transit for free

MobilityPLUS Township (Rural) Area Fares

Item	Cost (CAD)	Comments
Within Township	2.50	--
First Boundary Crossed	4.75	--
Secondary Boundary Crossed	7.00	--

Routes

Route listing effective September 2, 2008. Routes marked with are routinely operated with low-floor, wheelchair-accessible buses; other routes sometimes use new buses, but do not do so reliably.

Cross-service area routes

Route		Service Limitations	Terminals	Major Destinations	Notes
52 Fairview Park Mall - Ainslie Street Terminal		(Service every day)	Fairview Park Mall Ainslie Street Terminal	Freeport Health Centre, SportsWorld Crossing, Cambridge Memorial Hospital	Alternating weekday trips between Cherry Blossom Road loop and Preston Parkway loop. All weekend trips travel along Preston Parkway loop.
61 Conestoga College - Cambridge Centre		Weekday service only	Cambridge Centre Conestoga College Main Campus	Conestoga College Cambridge Campus
72 Cherry Blossom BusPLUS		Weekday rush hour service only	SportsWorld Crossing Cambridge Business Park.		One trip per day in each direction extends to Research in Motion plant.
111 Ainslie Street-Conestoga College Express		Weekday rush hour service only	Ainslie Street Terminal Conestoga College Main Campus	Conestoga College Cambridge Campus	Service runs September to April, except for the Christmas schedule period.
200 iXpress Conestoga Mall - Ainslie Terminal		(Service every day)	Conestoga Mall Terminal Ainslie Street Terminal	Waterloo Research & Technology Park, University of Waterloo, Laurier University, Waterloo Town Square, Grand River Hospital, Charles Street Terminal, Fairview Park Mall, SmartCentre Cambridge, Cambridge Centre	Bus rapid transit service.

Kitchener-Waterloo service area

Route		Service Limitations	Terminals	Major Destinations	Notes
1 Stanley Park		(Service every day)	Charles Street Terminal Stanley Park Mall		Limited service to Belleview Avenue extension. On Monday through Saturday, service on the Stanley Park loop travels in both directions (clockwise via Lorraine, counterclockwise via River). On Sundays and holidays, the Stanley Park Mall is served via the Lorraine side of the loop only (service on Lorraine side of loop in both directions).
2 Forest Hill		No Sunday/holiday service	Charles Street Terminal Highland Hills Mall		Serves Southmoor Place extension in peak direction only during weekday rush hour. Limited service provided during midday runs.
3 Ottawa South		(Service every day)	Charles Street Terminal Forest Glen Plaza	Laurentian Centre
4 Glasgow		No Sunday/holiday service	Charles Street Terminal The Boardwalk Mall
5 Erb West		(Service every day)	Waterloo Town Square Gatesview and Westvale	Westmount Plaza, Westside Marketplace	At Waterloo Town Square, buses change to route 35 Eastbridge, except late evenings and Sundays when Route 35 does not operate.
6 Bridgeport		No Sunday/holiday service	Charles Street Terminal Daniel and Bloomingdale
7A Fairview via Connaught		(Service every day)	Charles Street Terminal Fairview Park Mall.		Arrives at Fairview Park Mall via Fourth and Connaught. Typically, buses return to Downtown Kitchener as Route 7B.
7B Fairview via Weber		(Service every day)	Charles Street Terminal<BF>Fairview Park Mall		Arrives at Fairview Park Mall via Weber and Fairway. During the daytime on weekdays and Saturdays, buses return to Downtown Kitchener as Route 7A. On Monday through Saturday evenings and on all Sunday and holiday runs, they return as Route 7F.
7C Conestoga Mall via King		(Service every day)	Charles Street Terminal Conestoga Park Mall.	Grand River Hospital, Waterloo Town Square, Laurier University	Limited service to Regina Street loop.
7D University of Waterloo via University		(Service every day)	Charles Street Terminal University of Waterloo	Grand River Hospital, Waterloo Towns Square, Laurier University	Arrives at University of Waterloo via Columbia Street. Typically, buses return to Downtown Kitchener as Route 7E.
7E University of Waterloo via Columbia		No Evening, Sunday/Holiday service	Charles Street Terminal University of Waterloo	Grand River Hospital, Waterloo Towns Square, Laurier University	Arrives at University of Waterloo via University Avenue. Typically, buses return to Downtown Kitchener as Route 7E.
7F Fairview via Wilson		No Evening Sunday/Holiday service	Charles Street Terminal Fairview Park Mall.		Arrives at Fairview Park Mall via Fourth and Wilson. During the daytime on weekdays and Saturdays, buses return to Downtown Kitchener as Route 7F. On Monday through Saturday evenings and on all Sunday and holiday runs, they return as Route 7B.
91 Late Night Loop		No Monday-Wednesday OR Sunday/holiday service	Charles Street Terminal University of Waterloo	Grand River Hospital, Waterloo Town Square, Laurier University, Waterloo Research & Technology Park.	Information on this route is found in Route 7 schedules; Route 91 is not shown on the destination signs. Service provided on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 1230AM to 2AM from September to June. This route is marketed towards university frequenting bars in Downtown Kitchener and Uptown Waterloo; it serves residences at both universities, as well as the Lakeshore neighbourhood, which contains the majority of private off-campus student housing.
8 University via Weber		(Service every day)	University and King Charles Street Terminal
8 University via Westmount		(Service every day)	Charles Street Terminal University and King	Westmount Plaza, University of Waterloo, Laurier University
8 Fairview via Courtland		(Service every day)	Charles Street Terminal Fairview Mall
8 Fairview via Franklin		(Service every day)	Fairview Mall Charles Street Terminal		Evening and Sunday service travels via East Avenue instead of via Weber Street between Ottawa Street and Frederick Street.
9 Lakeshore		(Service every day)	Conestoga Mall University of Waterloo	Laurier University	At University of Waterloo, buses change to route 13 Laurelwood, except when Route 13 does not operate; at these times (weekday late night and weekend evenings), buses short-turn at University and King. Limited service extension to Elmira Poultry plant.
10 Conestoga College		(Service every day)	Fairview Park Mall Conestoga College Main Campus		Evenings, weekends, and holidays service extends to Bechtel Drive loop and Conestoga College residences quarter.
11 Country Hills		(Service every day)	Charles Street Terminal Forest Glen Plaza		Sunday and holidays service travels along Ottawa Street and Strasburg Road instead of Alpine Road.
12 Conestoga Mall - Fairview Park Mall		(Service every day)	Conestoga Mall Fairview Park Mall	Forest Glen Plaza, Westmount Plaza, University of Waterloo, Laurier University	Due to the total length of Route 12 and varying service demands over different sections of the route, various short-turns are used. Short-turns are performed at: Forest Glen Plaza, the University of Waterloo, University and King, and University at Lincoln.
13 Laurelwood		(Service every day)	University of Waterloo Laurelwood and Erbsville		At University of Waterloo, buses change to Route 9 Lakeshore.
14 Bathurst		Weekday rush hour service only	Conestoga Mall Wyman and Colby
15 Frederick		No Sunday/Holiday service	Charles Street Terminal Lackner and Victoria		Three round trips per day extend to Centennial Industrial Park.
16 Forest Glen		Weekday service only	Conestoga College Main Campus Forest Glen Plaza		Midday service extends to Blehn and Kilkerran.
17 Heritage Park		(Service every day)	Fairview Park Terminal Lackner and Victoria	Stanley Park Mall	Monday through Saturday evening and all Sunday and holiday service short turns at Stanley Park Mall.
18 Guelph Street		No Sunday/Holiday service	Charles Street Terminal Maple and Guelph
19 Victoria South		Weekday rush hour service only	Charles Street Terminal Highland Hills Mall
20 Victoria Hills		(Service every day)	Charles Street Terminal Highland Hills Mall		Weekday rush hour service short turns at Ingleside and Hazelglen.
21 Elmira	Waterloo Factory Outlet Mall	No Sunday/Holiday service	Conestoga Mall Church and Maple		Only route that travels outside the boundaries of Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge. Serves the Woolwich Township communities of St. Jacobs and Elmira.
22 Laurentian West		No Sunday/Holiday service	Highland Hills Mall Charles Street Terminal	Laurentian Centre, Forest Glen Plaza
23 Idlewood		No Sunday/Holiday service	Charles Street Terminal Oldfield and Springmount	Frederick Street Mall, Stanley Park Mall	Weekday rush hour extension to Fairview Park Mall.
24 Highland		No Sunday/Holiday service	Charles Street Terminal Driftwood and Westheights	Highland Hills Mall	Modified evening service via Highview Drive and Yellow Birch Drive.
25 Queen South		(Service every day)	Charles Street Terminal Golden Meadow and Highview	St. Mary's Hospital, Highland Hills Mall	Modified evening, Sunday, and holiday service via Highland Road.
27 Chicopee		(Service every day)	Fairview Park Mall Quinte and Morrison
29 Keats Way		(Service every day)	The Boardwalk Mall Laurier University	Westside Marketplace, University of Waterloo	Some weekday trips short turn at Fischer-Hallman and Keats
31 Lexington		Weekday service only	University of Waterloo Conestoga Mall
32 Kumpf		Weekday rush hour service only	Conestoga Mall Weber and Northfield
33 Huron		Weekday rush hour service only			Two round trips per day bypass Strasburg Road and extend to Groff Place.
35 Eastbridge		No Sunday/holiday service	Waterloo City Centre Conestoga Mall Terminal		At Waterloo Town Square, buses change to Route 5 Erb West.
52 Fairview Park Mall - Ainslie Street Terminal		(Service every day)	Fairview Park Mall Ainslie Street Terminal	Freeport Health Centre, SportsWorld Crossing, Cambridge Memorial Hospital	Alternating weekday trips between Cherry Blossom Road loop and Preston Parkway loop. All weekend trips travel along Preston Parkway loop.
61 Conestoga College - Cambridge Centre		Weekday service only	Cambridge Centre Conestoga College Main Campus	Conestoga College Cambridge Campus
72 Cherry Blossom BusPLUS		Weekday rush hour service only	SportsWorld Crossing Cambridge Business Park.		One trip per day in each direction extends to Research in Motion plant.
73 Northlake BusPLUS		Weekday rush hour service only	McCormick Community Centre Lake Louise and Conservation
110 Fairview Park Mall-Conestoga College Express		No Saturday, Sunday or holiday service	Fairview Park Mall Conestoga College Main Campus		Service runs September to April, except for the Christmas schedule period. Morning trips from Conestoga College to Fairview Park and afternoon trips from Fairview Park to Conestoga College service Pioneer Park Plaza.
111 Ainslie Street-Conestoga College Express		Weekday rush hour service only	Ainslie Street Terminal Conestoga College Main Campus	Conestoga College Cambridge Campus	Service runs September to April, except for the Christmas schedule period.
116 Forest Glen-Conestoga College Express		Weekday rush-hour service only	Forest Glen Plaza Conestoga College Main Campus		Service runs September to April, except for the Christmas schedule period.
200 iXpress Conestoga Mall - Ainslie Terminal		(Service every day)	Conestoga Mall Terminal Ainslie Street Terminal	Waterloo Research & Technology Park, University of Waterloo, Laurier University, Waterloo Town Square, Grand River Hospital, Charles Street Terminal, Fairview Park Mall, SmartCentre Cambridge, Cambridge Centre	Bus rapid transit service.
201 iXpress Laurier - Forest Glen		(Service every day)	Laurier University Forest Glen Terminal	University of Waterloo, Highland Hills Mall	Bus rapid transit service.

Cambridge service area

Route		Service Limitations	Terminals	Major Destinations	Notes
51 Hespeler Road		(Service every day)	Ainslie Street Terminal Hespeler Street Terminal	Cambridge Centre Terminal, SmartCentre Cambridge	At the Hespeler Terminal, some buses change to Route 65 Fisher Mills or Route 66 Winston. Some trips short turn at Cambridge Centre Terminal.
52 Fairview Park Mall - Ainslie Street Terminal		(Service every day)	Fairview Park Mall Ainslie Street Terminal	Freeport Health Centre, SportsWorld Crossing, Cambridge Memorial Hospital	Alternating weekday trips between Cherry Blossom Road loop and Preston Parkway loop. All weekend trips travel along Preston Parkway loop.
53 Franklin Boulevard		No Sunday/holiday service	Ainslie Street Terminal Hespeler Street Terminal	South Cambridge Shopping Centre	At the Hespeler Terminal, buses change to Route 66 Winston.
54 Lisbon Pines		No Sunday/holiday service	Ainslie Street Terminal Champlain and Christopher	South Cambridge Shopping Centre	At the Ainslie Street Terminal, buses change to Route 58 Elmwood.
55 St. Andrews		(Service every day)	Ainslie Street Terminal Grand Ridge and Oak Hill	Southworks Mall, Westgate Centre	Sunday service extends along Grand Avenue and Main Street. At the Ainslie Street Terminal, buses change to Route 59 Christopher.
56 Dunbar		(Service every day)	Cambridge Centre Terminal Westminster and King		At Cambridge Centre Terminal, buses change to Route 60 Northview Acres.
57 Blair Road		No Sunday/holiday service	Ainslie Street Terminal Blair and Bismark	Westgate Centre	At Ainslie Street Terminal, buses change to Route 54 Lisbon Pines.
58 Elmwood		(Service every day)	Ainslie Street Terminal Elgin and Avenue		At Ainslie Street Terminal, buses change to Route 62 Woodside.
59 Christopher		(Service every day)	Ainslie Street Terminal Champlain and Elgin		At Ainslie Street Terminal, buses change to Route 63 Champlain. Sunday and holiday trips do not serve Edgemere Drive loop; these trips instead extend to South Cambridge Shopping Centre
60 Northview Acres		(Service every day)	Cambridge Centre Terminal Saginaw and Burnett	Northview Plaza	At Cambridge Centre Terminal, buses change to Route 64 Langs.
61 Conestoga College - Cambridge Centre		Weekday service only	Cambridge Centre Conestoga College Main Campus	Conestoga College Cambridge Campus
62 Woodside		No Sunday/holiday service	Ainslie Street Terminal Cedar and Woodside	Westgate Plaza	At Ainslie Street Terminal, buses change to Route 58 Elmwood.
63 Champlain		No Sunday/holiday service	Ainslie Street Terminal Champlain and Christopher	South Cambridge Shopping Centre	At Ainslie Street Terminal, buses change to Route 55 St. Andrews.
64 Langs		No Sunday/holiday service	Cambridge Centre Terminal Rose and Lowther		At Cambridge Centre, buses change to Route 56 Dunbar.
65 Fisher Mills		(Service every day)	Hespeler Street Terminal Baldwin and Blackridge		At the Hespeler Terminal, buses change to Route 51 Hespeler Road.
66 Winston		(Service every day)	Hespeler Street Terminal Ellis and Adler		At the Hespeler Terminal, buses change to route 53 Franklin Boulevard on weekdays between 7AM and 6PM.
67 Lovell Industrial		Weekday rush hour service only	Cambridge Centre Terminal Lovell Industrial Park		One round trip per day extends to SmartCentre Cambridge.
71 Melran		No Sunday/holiday service	Hespeler Street Terminal Ellis and Kerwood		Evening, Sunday, and holiday service travels directly to Ellis and Kerwood via Winston Churchill Boulevard; these trips bypass the Franklin Boulevard, Cooper Street, and Queen Street service areas.
72 Cherry Blossom BusPLUS		Weekday rush hour service only	SportsWorld Crossing Cambridge Business Park.		One trip per day in each direction extends to Research in Motion plant.
75 Saginaw BusPLUS		Weekday rush hour service only	Cambridge Centre Terminal Townline and Coulthard
111 Ainslie Street-Conestoga College Express		Weekday rush hour service only	Ainslie Street Terminal Conestoga College Main Campus	Conestoga College Cambridge Campus	Service runs September to April, except for the Christmas schedule period.
200 iXpress Conestoga Mall - Ainslie Terminal		(Service every day)	Conestoga Mall Terminal Ainslie Street Terminal	Waterloo Research & Technology Park, University of Waterloo, Laurier University, Waterloo Town Square, Grand River Hospital, Charles Street Terminal, Fairview Park Mall, SmartCentre Cambridge, Cambridge Centre	Bus rapid transit service.

Numbering notes

Route 8 is so numbered because its travelled route forms a rough figure 8 through Kitchener and Waterloo, with the Charles Street terminal as the central point.

Many routes in the Kitchener-Waterloo area had their numbering split in the early 2000s as interlining was handled differently, to allow more flexibility. The separated sections usually had major route or schedule changes at the time. Routes split were:

Route before splitting	Year of split	Routes after splitting
1 Stanley Park - Queen South	2003	1 Stanley Park 25 Queen South
2 Forest Hill - Glencairn	2004	2 Forest Hill (2 Glencairn completely eliminated; in its place, route 22 Laurentian West was massively reworked to cover the old service area of route 2 Glencairn)
3 Ottawa South - Idlewood	2004	3 Ottawa South 23 Idlewood
5 Erb West - Lancaster - Eastbridge	2007	5 Erb West 35 Eastbridge
10 Conestoga College - Chicopee	2003	10 Conestoga College 27 Chicopee 110 Conestoga College Express
11 Country Hills - Victoria Hills	2002	11 Country Hills 19 Victoria South 20 Victoria Hills
15 Forest Heights West - Frederick	2003	15 Frederick 24 Highland

Many Cambridge-area routes are based on their former Cambridge Transit numbers, with 50 added to the number. Thus, the 51 is the former Cambridge Route 1, and the 52 is the former Route 2 Coronation which was extended from Preston Parkway into south Kitchener by merging it with the former Kitchener Transit Route 20 Sportsworld/Gateway Park (The Route Number 20 has since been reused in Victoria Hills); Cambridge Route 14 became 56, 17 became 60, and since 2000, additional routes have been numbered in the 60s.

Numbers above 100 are reserved for express-level service. Those in the 100s operate under standard branding (and, currently, all serve Conestoga College); the 200s operate under the iXpress branding.

During the turbulent times surrounding the Kitchener Transit - Cambridge Transit merger, many short-lived, experimental, or interim routes existed. One was the route 20 Sportsworld/Gateway Park, which was later merged with Cambridge Transit route 2 Coronation to form the route 52. At one point, a very short-lived route 61 existed as a satellite route operating from Highland Hills Mall. Soon after, this route was changed to a long-since forgotten route: route 41 Laurentian West - Highland West BusPLUS. This route did not last long, and its service area was later covered by routes 19, 20, and 22. Route 21 St. Jacobs started by running to St. Jacobs Market from Conestoga Mall via Northfield Drive and Weber Street.

School specials

GRT also provides school specials to most Secondary Schools in the Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge areas. The purpose of these routes is to help alleviate overcrowding problems on regular GRT Routes, and supplement regular GRT routes by adding extra and/or short turn trips. The main function of many of the specials is to provide services between schools and neighbourhoods where limited or no regular service is available, or where multiple time-consuming transfers would be required. These specials usually operate on completely or partially different routings than regular GRT Routes. Any other school bus services are yellow school bus services.

Bus fleet

Berlin/Kitchener

• horse drawn cars - Berlin Gas Company
• Preston Car & Coach Company cars - Berlin PUC
• ex-Cleveland Street Railway cars - Berlin PUC
• 10 Yellow Coach model 733 bus - Kitchener PUC
• 25 Canadian Car & Foundry T44 trolleybus - Kitchener PUC
• 2 CCF-Brill model C-36 gas bus - Kitchener PUC
• 5 ex-Ottawa Transportation Commission trolley buses - Kitchener PUC
• 8 General Motors TDH-3501 bus - Kitchener PUC
• 10 GMDD TDH-3502 bus - Kitchener PUC
• 1 Aerocoach - ex-Wellesley Bus Lines - Kitchener PUC
• 2 Brills - ex-Wellesley Bus Lines - Kitchener PUC
• 1 Ford - ex-Wellesley Bus Lines - Kitchener PUC
• 6 GMDD T6H-5305 - Kitchener PUC

Kitchener-Waterloo Division: Current Fleet

Numbers and Model(s)	Special Features/Notes	Current status
9200 - 9213 New Flyer Industries D40LF 1992 Detroit Diesel 6V92T Voith D863	First ever low floor buses in Ontario to be in service	In Full Service
9400 - 9419, 9421 - 9424 New Flyer Industries D40LF 1994 Detroit Diesel Series 50 Allison B400	9409 was fully rebuilt due to engine fire 9404 Retired due to engine fire 9411 Retired due to engine fire on Sept 22,2011 9420 Retired due to Winter 2008/2009 Crash	In Full Service
530-531 Nova Bus LFS 40102 1997 Cummins C8.3 Allison B400R	Ex Cambridge Transit	In Full Service
532-535 Orion Bus Industries 06.501 1998 Cummins M11 Allison B400R	Ex Cambridge Transit	In Full Service
536-537 Nova Bus LFS 40102 1999 Cummins ISC Allison B400R	Ex Cambridge Transit	In Full Service
2200 - 2207 New Flyer Industries D40LF 2002 Cummins ISC Allison B400	First order delivered to Grand River Transit New drivetrain	In full service
2300 - 2329 Orion Bus Industries 07.501 2003 Cummins ISC ZF HP592, Allison B400R		In full service
2400 - 2433 Nova Bus LFS 40102 2004/2005 Cummins ISL ZF Ecomat	Largest order to date for Grand River Transit 2400-2418 ordered in 2004, 2419-2433 ordered in 2005 2433 destroyed in fire and retired 2408 and 2409 bear the iXpress livery and are used on the iXpress route	In full service
2601 - 2614 Nova Bus LFS 40102 2006 Cummins ISL ZF Ecomat	New seat designs included Numbering system adjusted - orders now start with bus #~~01, instead of bus #~~00. All of these units have LED headlights now.	In full service
2701 - 2724 Nova Bus LFS 40102 2007 Cummins ISL ZF Ecomat	Some have LED headlights now First order delivered with rear LED screens	In full service
8007 - 8021 Nova Bus LFS 40102 2008 Cummins ISL ZF Ecomat	Numbering system begins with 8007 instead of 8001	In full service
8022 - 8027 Nova Bus LFS HEV 40102 2008 Cummins ISL Allison EP 40 Hybrid System	First Hybrid-Diesel Buses in fleet Numbering scheme adjusted	In full service
20901 - 20913 Nova Bus LFS 40102 2009 Cummins ISL ZF Ecomat	Numbering scheme expanded to five digits All 12 buses bear the iXpress livery and are being used for the iXpress route New symmetrical layout Some have LED headlights now	In full service
21001 - 21009 Nova Bus LFS 40102 2010 Cummins ISL ZF Ecomat	21001-21006 bear the iXpress livery and are being used for the iXpress route	In full service
21101 - 21121 Nova Bus LFS/LFS HEV 40102 2011 Cummins ISL9/Cummins ISB6.7 ZF EcoLife/Allison H 40 EP Hybrid System		In Full Service
21201-21221 Nova Bus LFS 40102 2012 Cummins ISL9 ZF EcoLife		Delivery Complete, 21201-11 In Service

Grand River Transit has a fleet of 240 buses. These include:

• 152 NOVA LFS
• 42 NFI D40LF
• 30 Orion VII
• 12 NOVA LFS HEV
• 4 ORION VI

Cambridge Division (ordered before incorporation)

• Leased GM New Look fishbowl (returned)
• Motor Coach Industries & GM TC40102N (Classic)
• NovaBus LFS (ordered 1997-1999)
• Orion Bus Industries I 01.507 (retired in 2006)
• Orion Bus Industries V 05.501
• Orion Bus Industries VI 06.501

Grand River Transit Ex-Kitchener Transit 793 preserved

Kitchener-Waterloo Division (ordered before incorporation)

• Flyer Industries D800-B (ordered 1977-1979) (Retired 2004)
• GM New Look fishbowls (Retired November 2005)
• Motor Coach Industries & GM TC40102N (Classic) (ordered 1985-1989) (Retired in 2012)
• Orion Bus Industries V 05.501 (ordered 1989-1990) (Retired in 2012)
• New Flyer Industries D40LF (ordered 1992)
• New Flyer Industries D40LF (ordered 1994)
• New Flyer Industries C40LF (ordered 1996) (Retired summer 2008)

Both Divisions (ordered after incorporation)

• New Flyer Industries D40LF (ordered 2002)
• Orion Bus Industries VII 07.501 (ordered 2003)
• NovaBus LFS (ordered 2004)
• NovaBus LFS (ordered 2006)
• NovaBus LFS (ordered 2007)
• NovaBus LFS (ordered 2008)
• NovaBus LFS HEV (ordered 2008)
• Ford minibus – F450 chassis
• NovaBus LFS (ordered 2009)
• NovaBus LFS (ordered 2010)
• NovaBus LFS (ordered 2011)
• Ford minibus – F450 chassis (Ordered 2009-2011)
• NovaBus LFS (Ordered 2012)

Denotes wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

Facilities

Charles Street Terminal, the main K-W station

Major transit terminals are operated and staffed in both Downtown Kitchener (Charles Street Terminal) - (Routes 1,2,3,4,6,7A,7B,7C,7D,7E,7F,8,11,15,18,19,20,22,23,24,25,200) and the Ainslie St. Transit Terminal at Galt City Centre in Cambridge - (Routes 51,52,53,54,55,57,58,59,62,63,111,200).

Unstaffed off-road satellite terminals are also in place at Waterloo’s Conestoga Mall (Routes 7C,9,12,14,21,31,32,35,200), Kitchener’s Fairview Park Mall (Routes 7A,7B,7F,8,10,12,17,23,27,52,110,200), Forest Glen Plaza (Routes 3,11,12,16,22,33,116,201), Stanley Park Mall (Routes 1,17,23), Highland Hills Mall (Routes 2,19,20,22,24,25,201), Sportsworld (Routes 52,72busPLUS) and Cambridge Centre (Routes 51,56,60,61,64,67,75busPLUS,200).

Other significant transfer points include King Street/University Avenue (Routes 7C,7D,7E,8,9,12,200), the University of Waterloo (Routes 7D,7E,8,9,12,13,29,31,200,201), Uptown Waterloo (Routes 5,7C,7D,7E,35,200), Holiday Inn Drive/Hespeler (Routes 51,53,65,66,71), Conestoga College-Doon Campus (Routes 10,16,61,110,111,116) and the Preston Towne Centre (Routes 52,56,61,64).

The Kitchener-Waterloo fleet, and all central operations, are run from the agency’s headquarters on Strasburg Road in Kitchener (across from the Laurentian Power Centre); the Cambridge fleet has its base on Conestoga Boulevard, behind the Cambridge Centre.

See also

• Grand River Railway
• GO Transit
• Guelph Transit
• Via Rail

External links

Media related to Grand River Transit at Wikimedia Commons

• Official web site
  • iXpress
• Region of Waterloo - Rapid Transit
  • Rapid Transit Environmental Assessment
• Region of Waterloo