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Brampton Transit/Zum

Though Brampton Transit has been slowly restoring service levels as ridership picks up, the current 505 remains one of the suspended routes.

I don’t think we’ll see much new in September, though the 505 extension would be beneficial for a lot of workers – the 115 has gone back to its full schedule, after all, so there’s definitely demand.
It's actually so dumb that the route is still cancelled. They completely disregarded the east end of brampton who use malton go to get to toronto, and the whole mess they made of the bovaird corridor to begin with

They thought that increasing the 5 frequency in the AM peak would be just fine but it made things worse. Overcrowding + Unreliability. If i learned anything in this quarantine, its to never take the 5/5A ever again.
 
From the City of Brampton Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) document where Ministers are pitched.

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Some more routes will be restored in September: 505, 12, 13, 16, 17, 19, 24, 32, and 54 (though many of those routes might have reduced service), with improvements to other routes, including the 501 (though frequent service to VMC, no restoration of direct York U service), 502, 511, and several others (the restoration of branches like 3A, 15A, and 511C).

It'll still be a while before service is fully restored to February 2020 levels, never mind new changes like the extension of 505 to Pearson Airport.

 
So it time to do a review just like how i did it on the GO service thread, except it will be small

- 501 officially having 6 minute frequency depending on peak direction is amazing. The change to serve the overbuilt bus parking lot and underused VMC bus terminal is also amazing as well. The viva rapidway will get served like how its supposed to and its from a transit service thats not even theirs
- 502 having the usual annual improvement to its route, at this point we’ll see a subway like frequency in the future when the lrt comes out
- 505... ugh when i said i wanted it back, i didn’t mean it like this. No airport extension + the route 15 covid service level?! Rip Bovaird corridor get ready for some hell
- 511C making a comeback, love it
- I like the 1 having 10 minute frequency on Saturday. Expect a combined 5-15 minute frequency on the queen corridor in general, and buses no longer than 2-4 minutes on weekday peak times
-3A is back, that’s amazing
-4 needs the 104 back in order to compliment and relief the whole Chinguacousy corridor. I wonder why they never brought it back? Its the exact same issue with the 5/505 and speaking of the 5...
- Do they ever learn? Evening frequency is back to 30 minutes as well as Saturday service.. WHY? How do they manage to make this corridor even WORSE despite the zum (ish) coming back
- 7 gets all its service restored, great news
- 9 is back to being a little more frequent during the peaks, not by much though
- 12 and 13 are back which is also great news
- 15 gets the 15A back, but it only runs on peak, leaving a 30 minute frequency mid day for the corridor. This is ok for only one section, bramalea go to bcc (steeles to queen), as we get a whole lot of bus routes already covering a 5-20 minute combined frequency with each other. As for the rest of bramalea road however, this is terrible
-16 is back and it is one of the bramalea- bramalea terminal routes so that’s great
-17 is back with a 40 minute frequency until 7PM. It’s ok but i wish the 18B came back with it as well. The 5 and 23 can’t suffer as they already have at trinity common
- 19 is back, nice
- 21 apparently gets only 1 or 2 trips depending on when school ends at Heart Lake SS. this is very interesting to say the least, and the 200 school routes are back as well. Nothing too special so there’s that
-23 gets a 20 minute peak instead of 15. I dont know how i feel about that, especially when it is one of the busiest routes in the city, but whenever bovaird gets to my nerves, I can come up north and get a bus here
- 24 and 27 are back, good stuff, no 28 however but there’s already enough buses on wanless
- 29 gets the 29A back and gets a beautiful 15 minute frequency. Steeles-Queen on Goreway finally wont be dependent on just the 5 anymore once again
- 32 is back and this is great news, an alternate route to take from the 5. Amazing stuff. No 33 though and that’s actually dumb but this is brampton transit we’re talking about
- 35 gets 7 days a week service again, like the 32 i will be taking this route as well.
- 50A is back and 50 gets its service almost 90% restored, thats alright as it is
- 51 gets 30 minute frequency peak
- 54 is back. I’ll be honest, i could really care less about the 50s routes (with the exception of.. well the 50 itself of course), but I’m glad they‘re here. 55 also apparently gets the 21 treatment
- 60 gets no changes. When will we ever see this get more frequency and an extension to meadowvale town centre?
-115 should’ve at least got more service if the 505 couldn’t get its extension yet. You haven’t seen the amount of brampton workers and commuters packed up along every express bus stop on airport rd trying to get to bcc. The 505 or more frequency on the 115 could easily relief this but once again, this is BT.

I can’t believe they messed this up yet again. I know we are still in the pandemic, but numbers are starting to rise and we need these buses to help that demand just like the Jan-Feb 2020 service did. Collector and secondary routes have been brought back but its not as much as we really need them. So yeah, just like GO, I’m disappointed in this service change

The good is definitely 501,502,511,1,3,7,12,13,16,29,30,35, and 50, but the terrible is easily the whole bovaird corridor as usual, and the 15 but I’m not as angry as i am with you know..
 
So it time to do a review just like how i did it on the GO service thread, except it will be small

- 501 officially having 6 minute frequency depending on peak direction is amazing. The change to serve the overbuilt bus parking lot and underused VMC bus terminal is also amazing as well. The viva rapidway will get served like how its supposed to and its from a transit service thats not even theirs
- 502 having the usual annual improvement to its route, at this point we’ll see a subway like frequency in the future when the lrt comes out
- 505... ugh when i said i wanted it back, i didn’t mean it like this. No airport extension + the route 15 covid service level?! Rip Bovaird corridor get ready for some hell
- 511C making a comeback, love it
- I like the 1 having 10 minute frequency on Saturday. Expect a combined 5-15 minute frequency on the queen corridor in general, and buses no longer than 2-4 minutes on weekday peak times
-3A is back, that’s amazing
-4 needs the 104 back in order to compliment and relief the whole Chinguacousy corridor. I wonder why they never brought it back? Its the exact same issue with the 5/505 and speaking of the 5...
- Do they ever learn? Evening frequency is back to 30 minutes as well as Saturday service.. WHY? How do they manage to make this corridor even WORSE despite the zum (ish) coming back
- 7 gets all its service restored, great news
- 9 is back to being a little more frequent during the peaks, not by much though
- 12 and 13 are back which is also great news
- 15 gets the 15A back, but it only runs on peak, leaving a 30 minute frequency mid day for the corridor. This is ok for only one section, bramalea go to bcc (steeles to queen), as we get a whole lot of bus routes already covering a 5-20 minute combined frequency with each other. As for the rest of bramalea road however, this is terrible
-16 is back and it is one of the bramalea- bramalea terminal routes so that’s great
-17 is back with a 40 minute frequency until 7PM. It’s ok but i wish the 18B came back with it as well. The 5 and 23 can’t suffer as they already have at trinity common
- 19 is back, nice
- 21 apparently gets only 1 or 2 trips depending on when school ends at Heart Lake SS. this is very interesting to say the least, and the 200 school routes are back as well. Nothing too special so there’s that
-23 gets a 20 minute peak instead of 15. I dont know how i feel about that, especially when it is one of the busiest routes in the city, but whenever bovaird gets to my nerves, I can come up north and get a bus here
- 24 and 27 are back, good stuff, no 28 however but there’s already enough buses on wanless
- 29 gets the 29A back and gets a beautiful 15 minute frequency. Steeles-Queen on Goreway finally wont be dependent on just the 5 anymore once again
- 32 is back and this is great news, an alternate route to take from the 5. Amazing stuff. No 33 though and that’s actually dumb but this is brampton transit we’re talking about
- 35 gets 7 days a week service again, like the 32 i will be taking this route as well.
- 50A is back and 50 gets its service almost 90% restored, thats alright as it is
- 51 gets 30 minute frequency peak
- 54 is back. I’ll be honest, i could really care less about the 50s routes (with the exception of.. well the 50 itself of course), but I’m glad they‘re here. 55 also apparently gets the 21 treatment
- 60 gets no changes. When will we ever see this get more frequency and an extension to meadowvale town centre?
-115 should’ve at least got more service if the 505 couldn’t get its extension yet. You haven’t seen the amount of brampton workers and commuters packed up along every express bus stop on airport rd trying to get to bcc. The 505 or more frequency on the 115 could easily relief this but once again, this is BT.

I can’t believe they messed this up yet again. I know we are still in the pandemic, but numbers are starting to rise and we need these buses to help that demand just like the Jan-Feb 2020 service did. Collector and secondary routes have been brought back but its not as much as we really need them. So yeah, just like GO, I’m disappointed in this service change

The good is definitely 501,502,511,1,3,7,12,13,16,29,30,35, and 50, but the terrible is easily the whole bovaird corridor as usual, and the 15 but I’m not as angry as i am with you know..
I had high hopes that they would resume the 501A York University service but turns out they didn't. :(
 
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I had high hopes that they would resume the 501A York University service but turns out they didn't. :(

Honestly can't see that service coming back online until the university opens up. I am aware that some students and faculty will have to return in September due to the nature of their courses requiring a physical presence. But this seems like such a small minority that does not really justify restarting the branches at this point in time. Perhaps BT could restart 501A but servicing Highway 407 station instead to create a "relief line" should overcrowding return to the regular 501 route.

A somewhat interesting service pattern 501 ZÜM will start using tomorrow. From the link: COVID-19 Updates the 501 will be extended into the SmartCentres Bus Terminal servicing bus bay 9. The 501 will continue to service the VIVA station as it normally does. Operationally, this really doesn't change anything since the 501 was already using the bus terminal to turnaround, its just now giving passengers the option to board/disembark at the terminal. I see this being quite useful for passengers transferring from ZÜM to YRT routes since its a bit of a walk between the VIVA station and the bus terminal.
 
Honestly can't see that service coming back online until the university opens up. I am aware that some students and faculty will have to return in September due to the nature of their courses requiring a physical presence. But this seems like such a small minority that does not really justify restarting the branches at this point in time. Perhaps BT could restart 501A but servicing Highway 407 station instead to create a "relief line" should overcrowding return to the regular 501 route.

A somewhat interesting service pattern 501 ZÜM will start using tomorrow. From the link: COVID-19 Updates the 501 will be extended into the SmartCentres Bus Terminal servicing bus bay 9. The 501 will continue to service the VIVA station as it normally does. Operationally, this really doesn't change anything since the 501 was already using the bus terminal to turnaround, its just now giving passengers the option to board/disembark at the terminal. I see this being quite useful for passengers transferring from ZÜM to YRT routes since its a bit of a walk between the VIVA station and the bus terminal.
I really hope it can serve 407 station. It’s a go bus paradise and it feels right to serve it as a connection to the entire gta as a whole. They have a lot of unused bus bays, and the most easy access between the terminal and the 407. Maybe they can be lucky and serve both york and this terminal but the 501A endgame should be the 407 station
 
From my drive back into town yesterday, following Steeles Ave West through Brampton...............an observation.

At first blush........perhaps more about road design that transit...........but I think there's an obvious enough tie-in.

Steeles, both east and west of the Credit River valley is served by Zum and also has sidewalks..............but.......right in the valley.

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No Sidewalk (on either side)

A transit stop on a poll in the middle of a marshy area fully 10M beyond guard rail.

No shelter in any area with nowhere else to take shelter.

1600250137209.png


And looking the other direction.............

No safe way to cross a very busy road!

For a community that has tried to be fairly progressive on transit in recent years, as suburbs go.......

This struck me as a rather ill-thought out bit of road.
 
From my drive back into town yesterday, following Steeles Ave West through Brampton...............an observation.

At first blush........perhaps more about road design that transit...........but I think there's an obvious enough tie-in.

Steeles, both east and west of the Credit River valley is served by Zum and also has sidewalks..............but.......right in the valley.

View attachment 269752

No Sidewalk (on either side)

A transit stop on a poll in the middle of a marshy area fully 10M beyond guard rail.

No shelter in any area with nowhere else to take shelter.

View attachment 269753

And looking the other direction.............

No safe way to cross a very busy road!

For a community that has tried to be fairly progressive on transit in recent years, as suburbs go.......

This struck me as a rather ill-thought out bit of road.

Many of Peel Region's roads are bad, like Steeles, are hostile. The region controls many of the busiest and most important roads in Brampton, and where they intersect roads owned and maintained by the City of Brampton. Brampton's roads (including Hurontario/Main) generally do not have channelized right-turns, except where they intersect regional roads, which are littered with them.

While Peel has gotten better in the last few years, it'll take a long time for changes to happen. They've started putting up big pedestrian crossing signs at their channelized right turns, but that's a bandage. Their newest roads, like Mississauga Road north of Steeles, have new multi-use path with bike signals and cross-rides, replacing "cyclists dismount" signs, but that too will take years to retrofit to older installations.

Brampton itself has its issues - beg buttons at major transit stops, for example - but Peel roads are generally the worse offenders.
 
Many of Peel Region's roads are bad, like Steeles, are hostile. The region controls many of the busiest and most important roads in Brampton, and where they intersect roads owned and maintained by the City of Brampton. Brampton's roads (including Hurontario/Main) generally do not have channelized right-turns, except where they intersect regional roads, which are littered with them.

While Peel has gotten better in the last few years, it'll take a long time for changes to happen. They've started putting up big pedestrian crossing signs at their channelized right turns, but that's a bandage. Their newest roads, like Mississauga Road north of Steeles, have new multi-use path with bike signals and cross-rides, replacing "cyclists dismount" signs, but that too will take years to retrofit to older installations.

Brampton itself has its issues - beg buttons at major transit stops, for example - but Peel roads are generally the worse offenders.
There are people in the Region of Peel in charge of traffic signals, who are actively opposed to any pedestrian friendly changes if they in any way interfere with the flow of traffic.
 
According to the latest Brampton Committee of Council agenda, Brampton Transit ridership was up 13% from 2019 from January 1 to mid March in 2020, then, not unexpectedly, nosedived. As of August, ridership was back to 50% of 2019 figures, while they expect it to reach 60% by the end of 2020 with more commuting and schools partly reopening.

The 505 Zum extension to Pearson Airport is still planned, but is postponed to Fall 2021.

BT Ridership Covid.jpg
 

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