Are you back on campus after a co-op term and noticed that the 12 doesn’t go where it used to? Why does the iXpress have a number next to it? At the start of the term, Grand River Transit (GRT) made a few significant changes to their bus system, and it’s good to read up on them so you know whether the bus you used to take will still go past your house.
The biggest change is the new 201 iXpress. This bus goes west from Laurier to the University of Waterloo, then south down Fischer-Hallman to the Forest Glen Terminal in Kitchener, with an end-to-end route time of 45 minutes. The 201 iXpress markers have green highlights to differentiate it from other routes. 201 iXpress bus stops will get booths like the ones at the Davis Centre, with green colouring on the top to again signify that they are 201 iXpress booths. As part of launching this new route, GRT is offering free bus rides on the 201 iXpress on Fridays until the end of the year. While students have WatCards, this means you can bring friends on the bus from out of Waterloo without them needing to pay for the ride. In the future, the 201 iXpress is planned to extend all the way to Conestoga Mall.
The old iXpress is still there as well, but is now referred to as the 200 iXpress. The only big change to this route is a new stop at King and Victoria, and new trips on the Laurier to Conestoga Mall segment of the bus route. The 200 and 201 iXpress routes are only the first of many iXpress routes to be added to the system. These changes are part of the planning for the light rail transit (LRT) system intended to be implemented in the near future. Both the 201 iXpress and the 12 are designed to hook up to an LRT station once it is implemented.
The 12 Fairview Park is the other route that has been heavily modified. While the route previously travelled along parts of Westmount and Fischer-Hallman, it has been changed to complement the 201 iXpress, much like how the 7 Mainline complements the 200 iXpress. While the 201 iXpress is going down Fischer-Hallman for the majority of its route, the 12 will go down Westmount to the Forest Glen Terminal, then east to Fairview Park Mall.
Apart from the schedule time changes, here are some of the larger changes to the fall bus schedule:
4 Glasgow: This route now travels on University Avenue between Fischer-Hallman and Ira Needles Boulevard.
7 Mainline: Northbound 7E routes from Regina Street have been removed.
29 Keats Way: This route now travels on University Avenue, Keats Way and Erbsville/Ira Needles between the University/King stop and the Boardwalk. The route from the University of Waterloo to Erb Street has been removed.
52 Fairview Park Mall/Ainslie Street: This route now travels along Fountain Street, Cherry Blossom Road and Maple Grove Road.
61 Conestoga College: Added service to the Conestoga College Cambridge Campus.
65 Fisher Mills: This route has been revised through Queen Street to north Hespeler.
66 Winston: This route has been revised through central Hespeler.
For more detailed information on the route changes check out the Grand River Transit website at www.grt.ca
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