Plans and Projects

To better meet the needs of the community and grow a better bus network to encourage future ridership, Grand River Transit is making transit service adjustments in 2023. The plan, approved during the budget process, includes restoring bus service to pre-pandemic levels as well as several service improvements. To achieve these enhancements, two routes will be discontinued. View the Planning and Works report on 2023 service changes

Route 2 and 73 alternate service information sessions

Join us to learn more about the Route 2 and 73 changes and alternative transit options for customers.

• Route 2 and 73 virtual session: Monday, June 5, 7-8:30 p.m. Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
• Route 2 in-person session: Wednesday, June 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Forest Heights Community Centre.

Route 2 alternate service

GRT is proposing two changes to the transit network to address the impact of discontinuing Route 2:

• Extend Route 34 to Sunrise Centre Station to provide service along Stirling/Greenbrook
• Add a new Route 204 stop at Highland/Path to Burnaby Crescent to provide service to customers in the Rolling Meadows Drive area

This proposal will be presented at the planned information sessions.

Read the report to Regional Council (page 115)

Service changes

Spring 2023

• Continuation of Route 79 Breslau Flexible Transit pilot until the end of 2023

Summer 2023

• New 15-minute midday service on Routes 8 and 12 (previously 30 minutes)

Fall 2023

• Cambridge network enhancements
• Late evening service, reduced during the pandemic, will be restored on several routes
• New 30-minute weekend service on Routes 31, 33 and 36 for new growth areas
• Route 2 Stirling and Route 73 Northlake will be discontinued effective Sept. 4.

Discontinuing Routes 2 and 73

The discontinuation of Routes 2 and 73 matches current customer demand and allows GRT to direct resources to grow other parts of the network. Details of the review of Routes 2 and 73 is available here. Removing Routes 2 and 73 will provide more than $400,000 in 2023 and more than $1.2 million in 2024 to be used to enhance the wider transit network.

Route 2

• Route 2 Stirling has the lowest number of boardings per hour compared to any other local route (8.4 boardings per hour vs. 33 on average across all local bus routes)
• Alternative transit service is provided by Routes Route 201, 205, 1, 3, 12 and 16

Map of alternate service options for the east end of Route 2 Stirling:

Map of alternate service options for the west end of Route 2 Stirling:

Route 73

• Route 73 Northlake has the lowest boardings per hour of any BusPlus route (8.5 boardings per hour vs. 12.4 on average for BusPlus routes)
• Alternative transit service is provided to part of the neighbourhood by Routes 9 and 19 with service starting earlier in the morning and ending later at night than the current Route 73.

Map of alternate service options for Route 73 Northlake:

• Seamless connections to ION
• New express routes running on key corridors
• More frequent service on busy routes
• More direct routes supporting a grid network
• Fast and convenient electronic fare payment
• More comfortable rides, stops and stations

Under the previous plan, we accomplished the following:

• Launch of ION light rail service and reworking the transit network to connect bus routes to ION.
• Opened new, improved bus stops at ION stations.
• Introduction of 205 iXpress Ottawa and 206 iXpress Coronation.
• Opened new transit stations: Cambridge Centre Station, Fairway Station, Sunrise Centre Station and University of Waterloo Station.
• Launch of electronic fare payment.
• Piloted different flexible transit options to serve areas that are difficult to serve with conventional transit.
• Introduced more hours of service, more frequent service and new weekend service on many routes.

Read the GRT Business Plan 2017-21 (PDF)

View the ION Station Profiles, summarizing land use, active transportation connections, passenger environment and transit connections at each ION station.

Read the MobilityPLUS and Kiwanis Transit Business Plan 2017-2021