Golden Horseshoe's local transit systems comparisons

[middeljohn]

Something I'm curious about is which municipality in the Golden Horseshoe, other than Toronto, has the best local transit system (so not GO, for example). I will do my own study of this as well, but I'm curious if you guys have come across any resources that compare average wait times, full access to the entire city, how fast you can get across the city, etc.

Obviously the top candidates are Hamilton, Mississauga and York (who seem to have combined all their cities' transit, culminating in their new BRT). KW's system, from my understanding, isn't all that great, being so sprawled out, however it seems like the LRT is very likely to come to fruition which would most certainly put them among the top for the region.

Lastly, apologies if a thread like this has been made before, however a quick search didn't reveal anything. If such a thread does exist, mods feel free to delete this.

 

[jamincan]

KW's system is actually pretty decent for the most part.

 

[andrewpmk]

Brampton would be the best, followed by Mississauga. The worst would be Milton followed by Burlington; Hamilton, Oakville, Durham and York Region are also pretty bad.

 

[salsa]

York region is investing millions of dollars in their new Viva BRT, yet they can't run half decent service everywhere else.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Oakville is ok. I wish there was more weekend and late night service. York Region is making people pay 4.00 for bad local service, I can't support that.

 

[dunkalunk]

KW's system is actually pretty decent for the most part.

Yeah, pretty decent compared to Cambridge. (can of worms opened)

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Yeah, pretty decent compared to Cambridge. (can of worms opened)

I thought Grand River improved Cambridge service?

 

[ssiguy2]

I think Miss would win with York in second. VIVA is certainly a good system and seems to be well planned and implemented but the frequency is a disappointment especially when you consider the outrageous fares. It will only get better when the Spadina ext opens.

Miss seems to have quite a good system and when the excellent and truly rapid BRT Transitway opens it will be even better. Miss also has the best GO connections.

 

[dunkalunk]

I thought Grand River improved Cambridge service?

GRT service in Cambridge has improved, but not nearly to the extent as K-W. Cambridge is still a mess of one-way loops focused mostly on terminals in the geographic centre of the city. There are a handful (probably 4 not including iXpress) routes with enough directness and frequency of service to actually be useful. They're finally pouring some money into a crosstown express, and some route restructuring for fall 2014 that should improve the situation in Hespeler at least.

 

[nfitz]

KW's system is actually pretty decent for the most part.

KW? Where they stop all service long before the bars close? Where if you catch the last Greyhound from Toronto to Kitchener, you have to walk home? That's how it was 20 years ago ... and looking at their schedule, it hasn't changed.

 

[dunkalunk]

It's why I live a 5 minute walk from the terminal. Overnight service is definitely lacking. GRT is no TTC, but it's not like the other municipalities are doing much better. Despite this, with the introduction of LRT and additional express routes and associated restructuring, service is definitely better than it was 13 years ago when Kitchener Transit was merged with Cambridge Transit.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

GRT service in Cambridge has improved, but not nearly to the extent as K-W. Cambridge is still a mess of one-way loops focused mostly on terminals in the geographic centre of the city. There are a handful (probably 4 not including iXpress) routes with enough directness and frequency of service to actually be useful. They're finally pouring some money into a crosstown express, and some route restructuring for fall 2014 that should improve the situation in Hespeler at least.

That's dissapointing. It seems outside of Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga and Ottawa, transit is lacking. What about bus routes from Cambridge to Kitchener.

 

[doady]

Ridership per Capita, 2012
Guelph Transit: 54.1
MiWay: 46.8
Hamilton Street Railway: 45.1
Grand River Transit: 42.1
St. Catharines Transit: 36.5
Brampton Transit: 34.7
York Region Transit: 20.0
Durham Region Transit: 19.1
Oakville Transit: 15.8
Burlington Transit: 13.1
Milton Transit: 3.5

I would use annual service hours to compare amount of service, but that is a lot harder to find, and it is already heavily implied in the ridership numbers anyways.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Ridership per Capita, 2012
Guelph Transit: 54.1
MiWay: 46.8
Hamilton Street Railway: 45.1
Grand River Transit: 42.1
St. Catharines Transit: 36.5
Brampton Transit: 34.7
York Region Transit: 20.0
Durham Region Transit: 19.1
Burlington Transit: 13.1
Milton Transit: 3.5

I would use annual service hours to compare amount of service, but that is a lot harder to find, and it is already heavily implied in the ridership numbers anyways.

I'm surprised at st Catharines.

 

[salsa]

Ridership per Capita, 2012
Guelph Transit: 54.1
MiWay: 46.8
Hamilton Street Railway: 45.1
Grand River Transit: 42.1
St. Catharines Transit: 36.5
Brampton Transit: 34.7
York Region Transit: 20.0
Durham Region Transit: 19.1
Burlington Transit: 13.1
Milton Transit: 3.5

I would use annual service hours to compare amount of service, but that is a lot harder to find, and it is already heavily implied in the ridership numbers anyways.

What about TTC?