Many municipalities in Ontario have infrequent buses, long travel times and multiple transfers to reach their destinations, or no access to public transit at all.
We are advocating for more funding to fill in significant gaps in the regional GO Transit bus network and to see it expand across Southern Ontario to serve new municipalities and locations.
As some routes are still in the planning phase of Metrolinx's 2041 Regional Transportation Plan and have not been implemented yet, our networks have had problems when it comes to connecting towns and cities outside the Greater Toronto Area. Many communities that require connections have either lost them, or never had them in the first place. That impacts the growth of our municipalities and leads to more commutes depending on car travel to get around.
Introducing new routes to serve emerging communities would help remove significant barriers to regional connectivity and grow economic development.
The following are actionable steps that Metrolinx and municipalities can work together on to ensure greater transit access in communities across Southern Ontario:
Credit: GuelphToday/Kenneth Armstrong
1. Add a direct GO bus service between Cambridge and Guelph along County Road 124 (via Cambridge Centre or Ainslie Terminal to Guelph Central Station).
As of lately, there are no direct trips between Cambridge and Guelph means extra travel time upwards of 1–2 hours. GO buses that do stop in Cambridge are on the outskirts of the town, forcing another local bus connection instead of a one seat ride to destinations within the downtown.
Credit: Anya Eland, https://thesputnik.ca/brantford-finally-gets-its-go-bus/
2. Connecting Brantford and Cambridge with GO buses.
Brantford and Cambridge, both key players in Ontario’s regional economy, are underserved by intercity transit. A dedicated GO bus route would provide much-needed mobility for commuters, reduce car dependency, and help bridge the gap between these two communities.
By ʄɭoʏɗiaɲ τ ¢ - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32046097
3. Add a Highway 8 connection between Waterloo and Hamilton as soon as new buses arrive.
With increasing demand for travel between Waterloo Region and Hamilton, the time is perfect for the implementation of a direct GO bus route. Delaying this service will continue to strain both regions' local economies and transit systems. As soon as new buses become available, this route must be established to provide commuters with reliable, environmentally friendly alternatives to driving.
Credit: Sean Marshall
4. Adding more transit connections in Haldimand County to Hamilton.
With increasing demand for travel between Waterloo Region and Hamilton, the time is perfect for the implementation of a direct GO bus route. Delaying this service will continue to strain both regions' local economies and transit systems. As soon as new buses become available, this route must be established to provide commuters with reliable, environmentally friendly alternatives to driving.
Credit: Sean Marshall
5. Connect more destinations in Southern Ontario.
Have a bus link between Guelph and Elora and/or Fergus.
A direct bus link that stops at Ainslie Street Terminal and terminates at Milton GO and arrive at times that align with the train schedule.
Have a bus link between Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, and Aldershot GO in Burlington via Highway 8, in order to grant access from Cambridge to the Lakeshore West GO train line to those in the Region.
This is an opportunity for Metrolinx to expand the regional Frequent Rapid Transit Network outside the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. It involves:
Improving frequency and span of service.
Improving reliability.
Improving first- and last-mile connections to GO Train service.
Adding new connections.
Image taken from Metrolinx's 2041 Regional Transportation Plan.
What can we do?
In order to get this done, we need to:
Build Public Support: Engage local residents and businesses to demonstrate community demand. MTSO will collaborate with other regional and local advocacy groups to get this work done.
Lobby Regional Politicians: Gaining the support of elected officials in Guelph and Cambridge can push this project forward. That means contacting your MPP and local representatives in order to get Metrolinx to provide more service.
Email your representatives to show your support of the expansion of new GO bus routes from Guelph to Cambridge and Brantford with Cambridge.
Email your MPPs:
Email MPP Mike Schreiner (Guelph): mschreiner-co@ola.org
Email MPP Brian Riddell (Cambridge): Brian.Riddell@pc.ola.org
Email Cambridge City Council:
Mayor Jan Liggett (Cambridge): liggettj@cambridge.ca
Helen Shwery, Ward 1 Councillor: shweryh@cambridge.ca
Mike Devine, Ward 2 Councillor: devinem@cambridge.ca
Corey Kimpson, Ward 3 Councillor: kimpsonc@cambridge.ca
Ross Earnshaw, Ward 4 Councillor: earnshawr@cambridge.ca
Sheri Roberts, Ward 5 Councillor: robertss@cambridge.ca
Adam Cooper, Ward 6 Councillor: coopera@cambridge.ca
Scott Hamilton, Ward 7 Councillor: hamiltons@cambridge.ca
Nicholas Ermeta, Ward 8 Councillor: ermetan@cambridge.ca
Email Guelph City Council:
Mayor Cam Guthrie: mayor@guelph.ca
Councillor Erin Caton (Ward 1): erin.caton@guelph.ca
Councillor Dan Gibson (Ward 1): dan.gibson@guelph.ca
Councillor Rodrigo Goller (Ward 2) : rodrigo.goller@guelph.ca
Councillor Carly Klassen (Ward 2): carly.klassen@guelph.ca
Councillor Phil Allt (Ward 3): phil.allt@guelph.ca
Councillor Michele Richardson (Ward 3): michele.richardson@guelph.ca
Councillor Christine Billings (Ward 4): christine.billings@guelph.ca
Councillor Linda Busuttil (Ward 4): linda.busuttil@guelph.ca
Councillor Leanne Caron (Ward 5): leanne.caron@guelph.ca
Councillor Cathy Downer (Ward 5): cathy.downer@guelph.ca
Councillor Ken Yee Chew (Ward 6): ken.chew@guelph.ca
Councillor Dominique O’Rourke (Ward 6): dominique.orourke@guelph.ca
Email Regional Councillors for Cambridge:
Doug Craig: dcraig@regionofwaterloo.ca
Pam Wolf: pwolf@regionofwaterloo.ca
Brantford:
Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP)
Will Bouma (Brantford): will.bouma@pc.ola.org
Brantford Mayor:
Kevin Davis: Email the Mayor
Brantford Ward Councillors
Michael Sullivan (Ward 1): MichaelSullivan@brantford.ca
Rose Sicoli (Ward 1): RSicoli@brantford.ca
John Sless (Ward 2): johnsless@brantford.ca
Gino Caputo (Ward 2): GinoCaputo@brantford.ca
Greg Martin (Ward 3): gregmartin@brantford.ca
Dan McCreary (Ward 3): danmccreary@brantford.ca
Linda Hunt (Ward 4): LindaHunt@brantford.ca
Richard Carpenter (Ward 4): richardcarpenter@brantford.ca
Brian Van Tilborg (Ward 5): brianvantilborg@brantford.ca
Mandy Samwell (Ward 5): MandySamwell@brantford.ca
Have you ever been waiting for a bus that takes far too long to arrive? How many transfers do you need to take? Share with us your experiences.