Updated Monday, Jan. 18, 2021

For general information on COVID-19, please visit Region of Waterloo Public Health

 Confirmed COVID-19 cases

Grand River Transit takes the health and safety of our employees and customers very seriously. We continue to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 on our workforce and take all appropriate action to ensure any reported positive cases are investigated in conjunction with the Region of Waterloo Public Health and Health and Safety Department.

GRT has undertaken a number of safety measures, including the installation of barriers on buses to protect operators and passengers, as well as enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of vehicles, stations, and frequently touched surfaces.

To protect their privacy, we will not release the name of any employee who tests positive for COVID-19.

Details of positive cases
Date of positive testRoleDate employee last workedAdditional info
January 18, 2021 Bus Operator January 15, 2021 The employee is self-isolating at home.
January 17, 2021 Bus Operator January 15, 2021 The employee is self-isolating at home.
January 15, 2021 Bus Operator January 11, 2021 The employee is self-isolating at home.
January 13, 2021 Bus Operator January 7, 2021 The employee is self-isolating at home.

January 12, 2021

 Bus Operator January 10, 2021 The employee is self-isolating at home.

January 11, 2021

 Employee contracted to deliver/support ION service January 9, 2021 The employee is self-isolating at home.

January 11, 2021

 Employee contracted to deliver/support ION service January 6, 2021 The employee is self-isolating at home.

January 10, 2021

 Bus Operator January 2, 2021 The employee is self-isolating at home.
January 9, 2021 Bus Operator January 6, 2021 The employee is self-isolating at home.
October 22, 2020 Bus Operator October 16, 2020 The employee self-isolated for 14 days following the positive test.
October 9, 2020 Bus Operator October 7, 2020 The employee self-isolated for 14 days following the positive test.
October 8, 2020 Bus Operator October 4, 2020

The employee self-isolated for 14 days following the positive test.
May 17, 2020 Bus Operator   The employee self-isolated for 14 days following the positive test.
 Customer service
Hours of operation:
  • Monday to Friday: 8 am - 6 pm
  • Weekends and holidays: 9:30 am to 5 pm

Physical distancing measures will be in place. Please follow the decals on the floor and stand behind the line.

A maximum of 3 customers will be allowed in the Customer Service Centre at one time, and a maximum of 5 inside Ainslie Street Terminal at one time.

The GRT Operations Centre at 250 Strasburg Road remains closed to the public.

Lost and found

Please call 519-585-7555 first to check whether your item has been turned in before visiting customer service.
 Masks
 Masks are mandatory on all GRT vehicles, inside bus shelters and on station platforms. Some exceptions apply. Full details: grt.ca/masks
 Keeping you safe

We take the health and safety of our employees and customers very seriously. Here's what we're doing and what you can do to make transit safe during COVID-19:

What we’re doing

  • Applying a long-lasting antimicrobial solution to all vehicles
  • Extra cleaning of frequently-contacted surfaces on buses, trains and at stations
  • Installation of driver barriers on all buses
  • Mandatory COVID-19 health screen for all GRT employees before they start their shift
  • Managing physical distancing inside customer service locations
  • Automatically opening doors on ION trains so you don't have to press buttons

What you can do

  • Stay home and don't take transit if you're sick
  • Wear a mask or other face covering while you’re riding
  • Spread out from other passengers as much as possible
  • Wash or sanitize your hands when you arrive at your destination
  • Don't sit in the seats directly behind the operator
  • Pay your fare with a fare card or ION transfer, rather than cash
  • Have your fare payment ready; tap and move quickly past the operator and the yellow line
  • Avoid unnecessary trips to customer service; call 519-585-7555 to check for lost and found items before coming in
  • Purchase fare products online or at fare vending machines wherever possible
  • When possible, travel at less busy times
 MobilityPLUS

MobilityPLUS bookings

Due to the ongoing and evolving COVID-19 pandemic, MobilityPLUS services are operating at a significantly reduced capacity as a result of low demand and the continued closure of many programs and activities. GRT continues to review and evaluate the evolving demand and are making service adjustments. 

As ridership and demand remains approximately 30% of normal at this time, the following practices are being applied at this time to ensure efficient delivery of MobilityPLUS services:

  • New subscription and group bookings are temporarily suspended
  • All trips must be booked as on-demand due to capacity restrictions on vehicles and current reduced service levels
  • There are many off-peak times available to book, so please be flexible in your requests for travel.  Peak times that are busiest currently include:
    • Early morning (before 7:30am)
    • 11am – 1pm
    • 4:30pm – 6pm
  • All customers will be pre-screened for COVID-19 exposure/symptoms the day before riding or trips may be cancelled

GRT will continue to monitor and review service needs during September and through the fall and will make further ongoing adjustments in as needed. 

MobilityPLUS ID expiries

MobilityPLUS customers whose cards were set to expire in March, April, May, June or July have been extended to Sept. 30. Operators have been notified of the extension. You can continue using your existing MobilityPLUS ID card to book trips.

TaxiScript

TaxiScript can be ordered by phone only, by calling 519-585-7597 ext. 7347. Please allow two business days to process orders.

Safety measures on MobilityPLUS

To help slow the spread of COVID-19, and to keep our operators and customers safe; the following measures are in place:

For pre-scheduled trips

  • You will be called the day before a prescheduled trip to answer 5 questions related to any recent travel, including, if you are experiencing any symptoms related to the coronavirus.
  • If we are unable to reach you, we will leave you a message to call us back.
  • Please call us at 519-744-2241 to answer these questions.
  • Your ride will not arrive to pick you up unless you have answered these questions.

For new bookings

  • You will be asked 5 questions related to any recent travel.

To maintain physical distancing, there are a maximum of 4 customers allowed on board a MobilityPLUS vehicle at any time.
 Fare payment
Contactless fare payment is preferred, but cash will continue to be accepted on buses. Customers who do not have an EasyGO fare card can get one:

College and university passes

For details on college and university passes, please visit the University and College Students page.
 Protecting operators
 GRT has implemented a number of measures to protect operators:
  • Significantly increased cleaning and sanitizing of frequently contacted surfaces in the buses and trains
  • Application of anti-microbial treatments on trains and buses
  • Additional cleaning of frequently-contacted surfaces at transit stations
  • Operators are provided with hand sanitizing wipes (based on availability)
  • All buses have spray sanitizer and paper towels for the operator compartment
  • Blocked off seats behind the operator on buses and trains
  • Installed a new yellow line on the floor to give operators more space on buses and trains
  • On-board and public messaging to maintain physical distancing from operators and other customers
  • Pre-screening all MobilityPLUS customers. Customers are not allowed to ride if do not pass screening questions
  • All operators, conventional and MobilityPLUS, are being provided with masks.
  • Security presence is system wide to respond to issues and ensure physical distancing is being maintained.