miketoronto
Apr 1, 2007, 12:27 PM
This article is from
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/toronto/story.html?id=bfbc1f77-749e-4ce1-a393-d9ebdf977d49
Mississauga is the lattest suburb to start a ridership growth plan to improve service and ridership.
Mississauga Transit is the largest suburban transit system in Toronto's outter suburbs. On average almost 100,000 riders are a carried each day on Mississauga Transit.
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Mississauga to beef up 3 key transit routes
Ridership growth; Buses to travel no more than 15 minutes apart
http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/idl/ntnp/20070329/ntnp_20070329_a012_mississaugatobe_58752_mi0001.jpg
Hurontario Street will be one of three "pre-rapid transit" routes, where buses will travel no more than 15 minutes apart.
Photograph by : Peter Redman, National Post
Mississauga to beef up 3 key transit routes
Ridership growth; Buses to travel no more than 15 minutes apart
Ian Munroe, National Post
Published: Thursday, March 29, 2007
Mississauga council yesterday approved a new transit plan that is billed as a significant shift in priorities by a city known more for its urban sprawl and car culture than its transit system.
Aiming to boost ridership from 29 million to 37 million over the next five years, Mississauga city council voted yesterday to adopt a plan that will create three "pre-rapid transit" routes -- along the Highway 403-Eglinton Avenue corridor, Hurontario Street and Dundas Street -- where buses will travel no more than 15 minutes apart.
"There's a huge commitment and support from the Mayor and council within Mississauga to improve transit service within our community," said Bill Cunningham, director of the city's transit department. "To provide a more viable alternative to the private vehicle -- that's what we're trying to do. To relieve the traffic congestion, to take advantage of the social-environmental benefits."
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Hurontario Street will be one of three "pre-rapid transit" routes, where buses will travel no more than 15 minutes apart.
Peter Redman, National Post
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Printer friendly
Font: ****"The Ridership Growth Strategy will fundamentally redefine how transit services are delivered in Mississauga over the next five years."
Beefing up the three key routes will cost roughly $60-million by 2011, including the purchase of 75 new buses.
"We need an effective transit plan that will attract those people to take the bus to get around, not only in the city centre, but to get to GO stations, the TTC subway and so on, getting to and from work," Mr. Cunningham said.
A Mississauga news release says the plan will help "make Mississauga a 'city for the 21st century,' " by providing residents in the Hurontario Street and Burnampthorpe Road East area -- which is being developed as a high-density downtown-- the option to avoid creating more gridlock by keeping their cars in the garage.
This summer, Mississauga will also become the first municipality to launch a GTA-wide transit pass, Mr. Cunnigham said. Beginning as a pilot project in which passengers can access both Mississauga Transit and two Go Transit shuttle services that run from the Meadowvale and Cooksville stations to Union Station, the expanded transit pass is slated to expand to include Oakville, Burlington and Toronto over the next few years.
"It's equivalent to an electronic purse, so you can ride any system in the GTA, including GO Transit, and eventually TTC, without needing to know the individual fares, and carrying tickets and passes for each system," Mr. Cunningham said.
The city has secured funding to implement its transit plan for the first four years using money from levies paid by developers and the revenue the city receives from its share of the provincial and federal gas taxes.
However, it hasn't allocated money yet for the last year of the plan. "Obviously we hope there would be no or minimal impact on the cost of this, to our customers," Mr. Cunningham said about whether the added service could eventually lead to a fare hike.
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/toronto/story.html?id=bfbc1f77-749e-4ce1-a393-d9ebdf977d49
Mississauga is the lattest suburb to start a ridership growth plan to improve service and ridership.
Mississauga Transit is the largest suburban transit system in Toronto's outter suburbs. On average almost 100,000 riders are a carried each day on Mississauga Transit.
-------------------------------------
Mississauga to beef up 3 key transit routes
Ridership growth; Buses to travel no more than 15 minutes apart
http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/idl/ntnp/20070329/ntnp_20070329_a012_mississaugatobe_58752_mi0001.jpg
Hurontario Street will be one of three "pre-rapid transit" routes, where buses will travel no more than 15 minutes apart.
Photograph by : Peter Redman, National Post
Mississauga to beef up 3 key transit routes
Ridership growth; Buses to travel no more than 15 minutes apart
Ian Munroe, National Post
Published: Thursday, March 29, 2007
Mississauga council yesterday approved a new transit plan that is billed as a significant shift in priorities by a city known more for its urban sprawl and car culture than its transit system.
Aiming to boost ridership from 29 million to 37 million over the next five years, Mississauga city council voted yesterday to adopt a plan that will create three "pre-rapid transit" routes -- along the Highway 403-Eglinton Avenue corridor, Hurontario Street and Dundas Street -- where buses will travel no more than 15 minutes apart.
"There's a huge commitment and support from the Mayor and council within Mississauga to improve transit service within our community," said Bill Cunningham, director of the city's transit department. "To provide a more viable alternative to the private vehicle -- that's what we're trying to do. To relieve the traffic congestion, to take advantage of the social-environmental benefits."
View Larger Image
Hurontario Street will be one of three "pre-rapid transit" routes, where buses will travel no more than 15 minutes apart.
Peter Redman, National Post
Email to a friend
Printer friendly
Font: ****"The Ridership Growth Strategy will fundamentally redefine how transit services are delivered in Mississauga over the next five years."
Beefing up the three key routes will cost roughly $60-million by 2011, including the purchase of 75 new buses.
"We need an effective transit plan that will attract those people to take the bus to get around, not only in the city centre, but to get to GO stations, the TTC subway and so on, getting to and from work," Mr. Cunningham said.
A Mississauga news release says the plan will help "make Mississauga a 'city for the 21st century,' " by providing residents in the Hurontario Street and Burnampthorpe Road East area -- which is being developed as a high-density downtown-- the option to avoid creating more gridlock by keeping their cars in the garage.
This summer, Mississauga will also become the first municipality to launch a GTA-wide transit pass, Mr. Cunnigham said. Beginning as a pilot project in which passengers can access both Mississauga Transit and two Go Transit shuttle services that run from the Meadowvale and Cooksville stations to Union Station, the expanded transit pass is slated to expand to include Oakville, Burlington and Toronto over the next few years.
"It's equivalent to an electronic purse, so you can ride any system in the GTA, including GO Transit, and eventually TTC, without needing to know the individual fares, and carrying tickets and passes for each system," Mr. Cunningham said.
The city has secured funding to implement its transit plan for the first four years using money from levies paid by developers and the revenue the city receives from its share of the provincial and federal gas taxes.
However, it hasn't allocated money yet for the last year of the plan. "Obviously we hope there would be no or minimal impact on the cost of this, to our customers," Mr. Cunningham said about whether the added service could eventually lead to a fare hike.