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Brampton Transit/Zum

The Argo On-Demand service begins today. Requires an app, with a service area centred around Downtown Brampton and the GO station. It might be useful for a few residents such as those living along the Route 8 corridor (Centre Street, Peel Village) that have low service frequency and no direct service to downtown/GO, but I don't see it being all that useful for a system with good ridership and a grid fixed-route service.


Service area:
Argo map Aug 28.png
 
ShonTron said:
The Argo On-Demand service begins today. Requires an app, with a service area centred around Downtown Brampton and the GO station. It might be useful for a few residents such as those living along the Route 8 corridor (Centre Street, Peel Village) that have low service frequency and no direct service to downtown/GO, but I don't see it being all that useful for a system with good ridership and a grid fixed-route service.


Service area:
View attachment 699107
Click to expand...
While it wasn’t explicitly stated, it makes me wonder if they’d eventually have Argo (or some fixed bus service) to replace the 8, or even the 52 since they seem to (mostly) fall into Argo’s service boundaries.
 
The PIC boards for the downtown terminal redevelopment are up. It'd be a three-phase project, starting with the middle section, which makes sense as the LRT extension goes through through the detailed design process and doesn't require the immediate demolition of the existing transit terminal.

www.brampton.ca

Downtown Brampton Transit Hub

www.brampton.ca www.brampton.ca

Phases.jpg


Screenshot 2025-12-04 102547.jpg
 
I like it. It reminds me of what Bramalea GO has become. What I also enjoy seeing is that Mill, Denison, and Elizabeth would be getting their own dedicated transit lanes alongside traffic to keep transit moving throughout the corridor.

Although, given that the PIC says it'll be done in phases, I have to hope that Metrolinx doesn't railroad phase 2 and delay it the way they've been delaying and dropping the ball on multiple other projects.

I'm also curious about the city owned properties around George Street and what their plans are with those. They've been sitting empty for quite some time and I wonder what their intentions are.
 
Ridership is down this year, nearly 20% from 2024, and the loss of international students is being blamed.

That's a really huge drop from 43.6 million rides in 2024, back to around 35 million. But 35 million is still very respectable, and hopefully means that service cuts will not be coming, as ridership has grown quite well between 2010 and 2020 before COVID and before the international student bubble.

www.bramptonguardian.com

Brampton Transit ridership crash fuelled by immigration policy cap on international student visas, says city

A recent report to city council found that the sharp year-over-year drop in Brampton Transit ridership has caused a $26-million decline in fair revenue.
www.bramptonguardian.com www.bramptonguardian.com
 
Update re: Chinguacousy Zum - The roadworks seem to have been completed. Trenching, and concrete pads for all the stops are done.

Chinguacousy / Fairhill has a section of the Zum stop set up where the route timings are shown, but the rest of the stop remains to be seen.
 
Chinguacousy / Fairlhill SB stop has been mostly constructed now. This is one of the "minor" sized stops.
DJI_20251214142101_0111_D.JPG
DJI_20251214142121_0112_D.JPG
 
The next round of service changes have been posted and it seems to be a few cuts masked as reliability improvements. Most namely the 561s midday is now 30 minutes. I’ll admit it’s the weakest link amongst the Züm routes, but with the reliability adjustments to route 1 last board now having it run at 32-35 minutes midday will just make Queen West even worse

Service Changes

199 UTM Express
  • Weekday Service resumes
iRide School Special Service (Routes 200-218)
  • Weekday service resumes
5 Bovaird
  • Route re-aligned back to Goreway Drive following completion of long-term construction.
  • Service removed from Kenview Boulevard, Finch Avenue and Darcel Avenue.
Weekday schedules on the following routes have been adjusted to improve service reliability:
  • 501 Züm Queen
  • 511/511C Züm Steeles
  • 561 Züm Queen West
  • 5 Bovaird
  • 7/7A Kennedy
  • 18 Dixie
  • 30 Airport
  • 35 Clarkway
  • 50/50A Gore Road
 
Other BT related service adjustments. Holiday
service begins tomorrow with all school specials cancelled and most school-related trippers cancelled. The 501 is temporarily reduced to 7.5 minutes, and the 511C to 22 minutes (really feels pointless since it messes up the evenness of the headways). The schedule is as follows:
  • Monday, December 22, 2025: Reduced Weekday Service
  • Tuesday, December 23, 2025: Reduced Weekday Service
  • Wednesday, December 24, 2025: Reduced Weekday Service
  • Thursday, December 25, 2025: Sunday/Holiday Service
  • Friday, December 26, 2025: Saturday Service
  • Saturday, December 27, 2025: Saturday Service
  • Sunday, December 28, 2025: Sunday/Holiday Service
  • Monday, December 29, 2025: Reduced Weekday Service
  • Tuesday, December 30, 2025: Reduced Weekday Service
  • Wednesday, December 31, 2025: Reduce Weekday Service with Extended New Year’s Eve Service
  • Thursday, January 1, 2026: Sunday/Holiday Service
  • Friday, January 2, 2026: Reduced Weekday Service
  • Saturday, January 3, 2026: Saturday Service
  • Sunday, January 4, 2026: Sunday/Holiday Service
On the 31st, like almost always, BT will be providing extended new years eve service sponsored by CAA, transit as usual will be free after 7pm. The following routes will have extended schedules
Until approximately 1:30 AM:

  • 6 James Potter
  • 8 Centre
  • 24 Van Kirk
  • 26 Mount Pleasant
  • 29 Williams (no trips added)
  • 31 McVean
  • 35 Clarkway
  • 51 Hereford
  • 52 McMurchy
  • 54 County Court
  • 60 Mississauga Road


Until approximately 3:00 AM:

  • 501 Züm Queen
  • 502 Züm Main
  • 1 Queen (no trips added)
  • 2 Main
  • 3 McLaughlin
  • 4/4C Chinguacousy
  • 5 Bovaird
  • 7 Kennedy
  • 11/11A Steeles
  • 14 Torbram
  • 15 Bramalea (no trips added)
  • 18 Dixie (no trips added)
  • 23 Sandalwood
  • 30 Airport Road
  • 50/50A Gore Road
  • 53 Ray Lawson
  • 57 Charolais

zoomzoom1010 said:
The next round of service changes have been posted and it seems to be a few cuts masked as reliability improvements. Most namely the 561s midday is now 30 minutes. I’ll admit it’s the weakest link amongst the Züm routes, but with the reliability adjustments to route 1 last board now having it run at 32-35 minutes midday will just make Queen West even worse

Service Changes

199 UTM Express
  • Weekday Service resumes
iRide School Special Service (Routes 200-218)
  • Weekday service resumes
5 Bovaird
  • Route re-aligned back to Goreway Drive following completion of long-term construction.
  • Service removed from Kenview Boulevard, Finch Avenue and Darcel Avenue.
Weekday schedules on the following routes have been adjusted to improve service reliability:
  • 501 Züm Queen
  • 511/511C Züm Steeles
  • 561 Züm Queen West
  • 5 Bovaird
  • 7/7A Kennedy
  • 18 Dixie
  • 30 Airport
  • 35 Clarkway
  • 50/50A Gore Road
Click to expand...

Also to provide a better scope of the service “adjustements”

501 Züm Queen
Peak-direction service from 5 minutes to 6 minutes (added runtime)
Midday service reduced from 10 to 12 minutes, and will now start earlier (10:24 am instead of 11:15 am)

511/511C Züm Steeles
Midday service reduced from 10 minutes to 12 minutes

561 Züm Queen West
Peak service reduced from 15 minutes to 20 minutes
Midday service reduced from 20 minutes to 30 minutes

5 Bovaird
Early Saturday morning eastbound trip added at 5:08 am
Decreased run-times due to shorter routing

7/7A Kennedy
Service on each branch adjusted from 15 minutes to 16 minutes

18 Dixie
AM peak service decreased from 7-8 minutes to 10 minutes, PM peak service decreased from 9 minutes to 12 minutes

30 Airport Road
AM peak service decreased from 7-8 minutes to 10 minutes, PM peak service decreased from 9 minutes to 12 minutes

50/50A Gore Road
50: Peak service decreased to 15 minutes from 12-13 minutes
50A: Peak service decreased to 30-32 minutes from 25 minutes, midday service decreased to 40 minutes from 32 minutes


I’ve also noticed that nearly every route has had their schedules strangely adjusted but they didn’t announce that. For example, there seems to be some 40+ minute wait times during rush hour on routes 1 and 2 because of varying headways
 
zoomzoom1010 said:
Other BT related service adjustments. Holiday
service begins tomorrow with all school specials cancelled and most school-related trippers cancelled. The 501 is temporarily reduced to 7.5 minutes, and the 511C to 22 minutes (really feels pointless since it messes up the evenness of the headways). The schedule is as follows:
  • Monday, December 22, 2025: Reduced Weekday Service
  • Tuesday, December 23, 2025: Reduced Weekday Service
  • Wednesday, December 24, 2025: Reduced Weekday Service
  • Thursday, December 25, 2025: Sunday/Holiday Service
  • Friday, December 26, 2025: Saturday Service
  • Saturday, December 27, 2025: Saturday Service
  • Sunday, December 28, 2025: Sunday/Holiday Service
  • Monday, December 29, 2025: Reduced Weekday Service
  • Tuesday, December 30, 2025: Reduced Weekday Service
  • Wednesday, December 31, 2025: Reduce Weekday Service with Extended New Year’s Eve Service
  • Thursday, January 1, 2026: Sunday/Holiday Service
  • Friday, January 2, 2026: Reduced Weekday Service
  • Saturday, January 3, 2026: Saturday Service
  • Sunday, January 4, 2026: Sunday/Holiday Service
On the 31st, like almost always, BT will be providing extended new years eve service sponsored by CAA, transit as usual will be free after 7pm. The following routes will have extended schedules
Until approximately 1:30 AM:

  • 6 James Potter
  • 8 Centre
  • 24 Van Kirk
  • 26 Mount Pleasant
  • 29 Williams (no trips added)
  • 31 McVean
  • 35 Clarkway
  • 51 Hereford
  • 52 McMurchy
  • 54 County Court
  • 60 Mississauga Road


Until approximately 3:00 AM:

  • 501 Züm Queen
  • 502 Züm Main
  • 1 Queen (no trips added)
  • 2 Main
  • 3 McLaughlin
  • 4/4C Chinguacousy
  • 5 Bovaird
  • 7 Kennedy
  • 11/11A Steeles
  • 14 Torbram
  • 15 Bramalea (no trips added)
  • 18 Dixie (no trips added)
  • 23 Sandalwood
  • 30 Airport Road
  • 50/50A Gore Road
  • 53 Ray Lawson
  • 57 Charolais



Also to provide a better scope of the service “adjustements”

501 Züm Queen
Peak-direction service from 5 minutes to 6 minutes (added runtime)
Midday service reduced from 10 to 12 minutes, and will now start earlier (10:24 am instead of 11:15 am)

511/511C Züm Steeles
Midday service reduced from 10 minutes to 12 minutes

561 Züm Queen West
Peak service reduced from 15 minutes to 20 minutes
Midday service reduced from 20 minutes to 30 minutes

5 Bovaird
Early Saturday morning eastbound trip added at 5:08 am
Decreased run-times due to shorter routing

7/7A Kennedy
Service on each branch adjusted from 15 minutes to 16 minutes

18 Dixie
AM peak service decreased from 7-8 minutes to 10 minutes, PM peak service decreased from 9 minutes to 12 minutes

30 Airport Road
AM peak service decreased from 7-8 minutes to 10 minutes, PM peak service decreased from 9 minutes to 12 minutes

50/50A Gore Road
50: Peak service decreased to 15 minutes from 12-13 minutes
50A: Peak service decreased to 30-32 minutes from 25 minutes, midday service decreased to 40 minutes from 32 minutes


I’ve also noticed that nearly every route has had their schedules strangely adjusted but they didn’t announce that. For example, there seems to be some 40+ minute wait times during rush hour on routes 1 and 2 because of varying headways
Click to expand...

Taken together, these are substantial service reductions, not 'adjustments'

Where one would have ideals for a branded, main route service of every 10M or better; and failing that every 15M or better.

We see

501 fall below the 10M threshold in off-peak
511, falls below the 10M threshold in off-peak
561 falls all the way to 20 minutes in peak and 30 at other times
19 Dixie falls below 10M off-peak
30 Airport falls below 10M off peak
7 Kennedy falls below 15M

While Gore just goes the wrong direction from bad to worse.

Very disappointing.

Most frequencies remain reasonable'ish but 561's changes could scare away a lot of riders.
 
Last edited:
This is a bad look for BT heading into the new year, especially as the whole return to office thing starts in January.

For the 561 getting reduced to 30 mins, you could make an argument that it’s on a corridor that isn’t as busy as the other Zum routes and the 1 does see higher ridership overall between Chinguacousy and Mt Pleasant. But now the 561 completely misses the point of being a Zum route as it was supposed to be a fast service that you could rely on at minimum every 15-20 mins during the entire day.

30 getting reduced frequency would make more sense if the 505 had higher frequency to back it up, but BT doesn’t even know what to do with that route anymore. They only half assed the airport connection and called it a day, and left the entire Airport Rd corridor a total mess which is ridiculous if you take in the fact that 4 whole routes run on it with no integration between each other at all.

50/50A doesn’t make any sense. Almost every bus during both peaks and mid day, between Gore Meadows and Queen, are always at minimum half filled, and at worst completely packed. 50A used to be the branch that was less busy but even it’s starting to see more demand. This is the most busiest route in east Brampton, it’s just disappointing to see overall.
 
Northern Light said:
Taken together, these are substantial service reductions, not 'adjustments'

Where one would have ideals for a branded, main route service of every 10M or better; and failing that every 15M or better.

We see

501 fall below the 10M threshold in off-peak
511, falls below the 10M threshold in off-peak
561 falls all the way to 20 minutes in peak and 30 at other times
19 Dixie falls below 10M off-peak
30 Airport falls below 10M off peak
7 Kennedy falls below 15M

While Gore just goes the wrong direction from bad to worse.

Very disappointing.

Most frequencies remain reasonable'ish but 561's changes could scare away a lot of riders.
Click to expand...
The thing is, a lot of these would be reasonable if there was known extreme reliability issues on said routes, but from what I’ve seen, the routes are pretty reliable, so it just feels like BT is just trying to save face amidst the deficit, and worsening ridership, so I’m guessing announcing publicly that they’re cutting service on this many routes is not good for their pr. But it’s just disappointing, and will just keep driving more and more people away—making this a pretty shortsighted decision, while this year the focus was on improving reliability (which is a really good thing), but it’s pretty eye-opening when you realize almost every route runs less frequently now, than at the start of this year
 
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