Aurora
November 20, 2008 10:17 PM
Sean Pearce
Use it or lose it.
That’s the message being sent to Aurora residents in York Region Transit’s 2009 draft service report.
The transit service provider is reviewing the performance of all of its routes as it prepares to finalize its 2009 service plan, YRT service planning manager Irene McNeil said.
While it is a challenge for the transit service to get people onto transit in Aurora, Ms McNeil said overall ridership numbers are up 20 per cent in the area, compared to 6 per cent across the region.
Still, there is always room for improvement and she is hopeful the numbers will continue to grow in the years to come.
“It’s promising,” Ms McNeil said. “A lot of it has to do with more students in the area using transit, because school boards have cancelled some of the yellow school bus routes.”
But despite rising ridership, service changes are in the works.
While no Aurora routes are on the chopping block, some, such as Route 34-Industrial Parkway, may be converted to dial-a-ride service.
Dial-a-ride provides transit users service on an on-demand basis rather than having a conventional bus continually travelling the route.
However, that, too, may change in the near future as a new high school is slated to open along the route in September, which could pave the way for more ridership and necessitate the return of a full-size bus.
“The cost recovery numbers were well below our minimum standards,” Ms McNeil said, adding any changes will be based on ridership figures.
Other routes could face changes, including Route 32-Aurora South, which may be rerouted to end service Seneca College’s King Campus, among other changes. Dial-a-ride may also be introduced to replace Route 32, but additional morning and afternoon trips may be added in September to service a new Catholic high school, Ms McNeil said.
“We try to identify, down to a trip-by-trip basis, what kind of ridership exists,” she said.
“It may be discontinued ... if it doesn’t meet our minimum standards. There are other routes that service Seneca College and there are other ways of getting to and from the campus.”
Other changes proposed by the draft service plan include extending Route 58-Leslie North to serve the Whitwell/State Farm subdivision, but depending on the budget process, this change may be deferred.
In addition, more Viva service is being eyed for Yonge Street to reduced overcrowding and four additional trips are expected to be implemented on the Route 222-Aurora-Newmarket GO shuttle line in April.
In a report prepared by Aurora’s public works department and presented to councillors Tuesday night, town staff identified changes to the draft service plan. Most of them had to do with Route 33-Wellington Street, with staff suggesting changes of their own.
Staff suggested the route loop northbound on First Commerce Drive and southbound on Leslie Street, instead of vice-versa, that the route enter the Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex and that it be extended to service the Hwy. 404 parking lot in order to better facilitate connections to GO Transit’s bus services and the park and ride amenities.
The report also recommended:
•the town better promote the use of the service and also recommended YRT review its service to the Aurora GO Station as GO Transit has plans to build a new 850-spot parking structure in the vicinity next fall;
•town staff be encouraged use transit, that the YRT service map be posted on the town’s website and that YRT be invited to town functions to better inform residents about the service; and
•that Aurora fund the Smart Commute program.
All of those measure would help YRT get the word out about transit and help grow ridership, Ms McNeil said.
“The transit system needs to be supported,” she said. “It needs to be used.”
For more information on YRT and Viva, visit
www.yrt.ca