I went to a public meeting for the upcoming transit improvements in Brampton, a outer north west suburb of Toronto.
Brampton used to have one of the worst transit services in the Toronto area, and was famous for not having Sunday bus service.
Over the past few years Brampton Transit has turned itself around, and today the system offers the best service levels in the 905 outer suburban belt of Toronto. The improvements continue with a focus on offering an attractive service level across the suburbs.
Following are a preview of some improvements. All maps are from Brampton Transit.
Transit is being expanded to serve new subdivisions which are currently under construction. The new route 56 Credit Valley route will start by providing rush hour only service to this subdivision. As the construction finishes and more residents move in, additional service periods will be added. Currently there is lots of construction and most roads are not completed. Brampton has a early transit phase in policy, to try and get transit into new subdivisions as fast as possible, to encourage a transit habit.
Starting this September, the ZUM Main Street line, will provide limited stop rapid bus service to the busiest transit corridor in the outer suburbs. Service will operate from Sandlewood Parkway to Mississauga Square One, a major shopping mall. This line is the second rapid bus route to open in Brampton. The first along Queen Street, opened last October, and almost 15,000 riders a day are using transit on the Queen Street corridor.
Brampton Transit is improving rush hour service on a number of routes. With this round of improvements, most Brampton residents will have a bus within walking distance of their homes, which operates every 15 minutes or less during rush hour periods. Most bus routes are improving to a bus every 7.5 to 10 minutes depending on the route. With some continuing with the 15 minute service. The area with the area marked with the red circle will receive a bus every 4 minutes in rush hour, instead of every 7.5 minutes. This will make that stretch of Steeles Ave one of the most frequent bus routes in the outer suburbs. The area marked in black will have a bus every 10 minute instead of every 15 minutes. This area is the Meadowvale Business Park in Mississauga. This area is highlighted, because Brampton provides more frequent transit service to this major suburban office park, than Mississauga does, even though the business park is located in Mississauga.
Another area where Brampton really shines is off peak service. More additions to off peak service, will mean that almost all of Brampton will have bus routes operating every 30 minutes or less seven days a week along major arterial routes. This plan was started last October, and with the addition of the routes above, really fills out the service. Brampton will become the only outer suburb of Toronto to offer a bus every 30 minutes or less to the majority of residents seven days a week. This is all part of Brampton's plan to make transit more attractive to residents.
Some pictures I took
The Queen Street corridor in Brampton.
The ZUM Rapid Bus shelter at Queen and Kennedy.
The ZUM Shelter at Queen and Centre.
Threaded Mode