Durham Region Transit

Durham Region Transit

Bus 8172 waits at the Ajax GO Station.
Slogan Make Life Easy!
Founded January 1, 2006
Headquarters Whitby, Ontario
Service area Durham Region
Service type Public transit
Fuel type Diesel
Operator Durham Region, Trentway-Wagar (Whitby)
Website www.durhamregiontransit.com

Durham Region Transit (DRT) is the regional public transit operator in Durham Region, east of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are at 605 Rossland Rd East in Whitby, Ontario, and there are regional centres in Ajax, Whitby, and Oshawa. It was formed by the merger of Ajax/Pickering Transit, Whitby Transit, Oshawa Transit, and Clarington Transit.

Overview

DRT's operation is overseen by the Durham Region Transit Commission, consisting of the members of Durham Region Council. In April 2007, a new Durham Region Transit Executive Committee was created to take over day-to-day oversight responsibilities, with the full Commission meeting on a limited basis as needed. The Executive Committee consists of the Regional Chair and one councilor from each of the eight Durham Region municipalities as appointed by the Mayor of each municipality.

DRT is organized into operating divisions mirroring its predecessor systems:

Most of DRT's operational and maintenance services are provided by regional staff who are members of Canadian Auto Workers Local 222.

Whitby initially operated under the terms of an existing Whitby Transit contract with Trentway-Wagar. A new contract that combined Brock, Scugog & Uxbridge operations with Whitby operations was awarded to Trentway-Wagar in 2011. The drivers and maintenance staff are therefore employees of Trentway-Wagar. This contract ends on June 30, 2016.[1]

Routes

Route numbering

As of July 28, 2008, DRT has introduced a unified route number system using a three digit format, with the first digit indicating the municipality the route operates in:

Terminals and hubs

Location Routes served Connecting transit
U of T, Scarborough 900 PULSE, 923 TTC 38, 95B/E, 198 ; GO 51
Rouge Hill GO Station 103 GO Lakeshore East train, TTC 38, 54A/E (at Lawrence Ave), 85A
Pickering GO Station 923, 101, 103B, 107, 110/A, 112, 120, 110/112 Late night shuttle GO Lakeshore East train, GO 51/B, 90B/C, 98
Ajax GO Station 915, 916, 923, 218, 219/D, 221/D, 222, 224/D, 225/A, 226, 232 GO Lakeshore East train, GO 96
Whitby GO Station 910/C, 922, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 308, 318 GO Lakeshore East train, GO 81, 96
Oshawa GO Station 922, 401C, 403, 405 GO Lakeshore East train, GO 88, 90, 91, 96
Downtown Oshawa 900 PULSE, 401/B/C, 402/B, 405, 407, 410, 411, 414 GO 52, 90, 91, 92
Oshawa Centre 910, 312, 402/B, 403, 405, 409, 410, 411, 412, 414 GO 90 (at Stevenson/Cartier or at King/Stevenson)
Durham College/UOIT 910/C, 915, 950, 310, 401/B/C, 416 GO 52, 93
Harmony Terminal
(Walmart North Oshawa) 		916, 922/B, 405, 407, 410, 416 NA
Pickering Parkway Terminal 923, 110B, 111/A, 193B connecting bridge to Pickering GO Station
Port Perry Terminal
(Curt St & Water St) 		950, 801 GO 81
Courtice Community Centre 402/B, 411, 412 NA

Route list

Routes are in effect as of 2 November 2015.[2]

REGIONAL ROUTES
Route number & name Destinations
900 drt PULSE
(Bus Rapid Transit) 		U of T Scarborough Campus / Downtown Oshawa - Mary St & Bond St
910 Campus Connect
via Oshawa Centre 		Durham College UOIT / Whitby Station
910C Campus Connect
via Burns 		Durham College UOIT / Whitby Station
915 Taunton Ajax Station / Durham College UOIT
916 Rossland Ajax Station / Harmony Terminal
922 Bloor / Victoria / Townline Whitby station/ Oshawa station / Harmony Terminal
922B Townline / Nash Rd King St & Townline Rd/ Harmony Terminal
923 Bayly U of T Scarborough Campus / Pickering Station / Ajax Station
950 Uxbridge / Port Perry
/ Durham College UOIT
WEST ROUTES (Pickering – Ajax)
Route number & name Destinations
101 Industrial/ Bay Ridges
via Liverpool Rd 		Montgomery Park Rd/ Pickering station
101A Industrial/ Bay Ridges
via Brock Rd 		Montgomery Park Rd/ Pickering station
103 Glenanna/ Strouds Rouge Hill Station / Pickering station
103B Glenanna/ Strouds Highview Rd & Rosebank Rd / Pickering Parkway
110 / 110A West Pickering Pickering Parkway Terminal / Pickering Station
110B West Pickering Pickering Parkway Terminal / Sheppard Av & Whites Rd
111 East Pickering
via Finch Av 		Pickering Parkway Terminal / Pickering Town Centre (Counter-clockwise)
111A East Pickering
via Dixie Rd 		Pickering Parkway Terminal (Clockwise) / Pickering Town Centre
112 Brock William Jackson Dr / Pickering Station
107 / 120 South Rosebank & Whites 107: Rougemount Dr & Toynevale Rd / Pickering GO Station
120: Sunbird Loop / Pickering GO Station
193A / 193B Pickering Community Bus
199 Claremont Pickering Town Centre / Claremont
218 Beach Ajax Station / Pickering Beach Rd
218D Beach / Audley South
219 Ravenscroft Ajax Station / Williamson & Harwood
219D Ravenscroft / Village
221 Central Ajax Ajax Station / Rossland & Westney
221D Central Ajax
222 Audley South Ajax Station / Audley & Bayly
224 Harwood Ajax Station / Harwood & Rouge Valley Hospital
224D Harwood / Duffins
225 Audley North via Audley Ajax Station / Taunton & Salem
225A Audley North via Salem Ajax Station / Taunton & Salem
226 Duffins Ajax Station / Lakeview Driveway
232 Village Ajax Station / Rossland & Church
291 / 292 Ajax Community Bus
CENTRAL ROUTES (Whitby – Oshawa)
Route number & name Destinations
301 West Lynde/ Otter Creek Taunton Rd & Country Ln / Whitby station
302 Brock/ Brooklin Downtown Whitby / Brooklin / Whitby station
303 Garden McKinney Dr / Whitby station
304 Anderson Taunton Rd & Anderson St / Whitby station
305 Thickson/ Garrard Taunton Rd & Thickson Rd / Whitby station
308 Whitby Shores Whitby station / Whitby Shores Hospital
310 Brooklin/ Durham College/ UOIT Brooklin / Durham College UOIT
312 Whitby Community Bus Cochrane St / Anderson St / Oshawa Centre
318 Otter Creek/ Garden/ Whitby Shores
401 Simcoe Durham College UOIT / Downtown Oshawa / Lakeview Park & Ritson
401B Simcoe to Downtown Oshawa Durham College UOIT / Downtown Oshawa (Centre St / King St)
401C Simcoe to Oshawa GO Station Durham College UOIT / Downtown Oshawa / Oshawa GO station
402/ 402B King Oshawa Centre / Courtice Rd - Courtice Community Centre
403 Park Oshawa Centre / Oshawa station
405 Wilson Oshawa Station / Oshawa Centre / Downtown Oshawa / Harmony Terminal
407 Ritson/ Colonel Sam Colonel Sam Dr / Downtown Oshawa / Harmony Terminal
409 Thornton/ Stevenson Taunton Rd & Thornton / Oshawa Centre
410 Olive/ Harmony Harmony Terminal / Oshawa Centre
411 Grandview/ Courtice Oshawa Centre / Courtice Rd
412 Adelaide/ Courtice Oshawa Centre / Courtice Rd - Courtice Community Centre
414 Oshawa Community Bus Ormond Dr & Ritson Rd / Oshawa Centre / Dean & Normandy
416 Kedron Durham College UOIT / Harmony Terminal
EAST AND NORTH ROUTES
(Clarington - Brock - Uxbridge - Port Perry)
Route number & name Destinations
501 Aspen Springs Baseline & RR 57/ Church & Temperance
502 Liberty Apple Blossom & Mearns/ Church & Temperance
503 Wilmot Creek Community Bus Clarington Mall / Wilmot Creek
504 Newcastle/ Orono Community Bus Clarington Mall via Orono Newcastle / Bowmanville via Orono Newcastle
601 Brock Community Bus
701 Uxbridge Community Bus
801 Port Perry Community Bus

Service changes

In its first year of operation in 2006, DRT implemented a number of service changes:

In 2007, the following new services were introduced:

As a consequence of an operational budget shortfall, DRT implemented service cutbacks in December 2007 and March 2008, including cancellation of midday services, reduction in service hours and frequencies, and elimination of its 10 Ajax route.[3]

Rapid transit

DRT Pulse
Parent Durham Region Transit
Founded June 29, 2013
Locale Durham Region
Service area Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa
Service type bus rapid transit
Routes 900
Stops Along Kingston Road, Dundas St, and King/Bond Sts. (Former Ontario Highway 2)
Destinations Downtown Oshawa to U of T Scarborough
Fleet New Flyer Xcelsior
Fuel type Diesel
Website Durham BRT

There has been some discussion of the possibility of creating a rapid transit line along the Durham Highway 2 corridor. The Durham Region Long Term Transit plan identifies Highway 2 and Taunton Road as higher order corridors where transit services would be especially fast, frequent and include elements such as right-of-way separation, transit priority, and potential for different vehicle technology including light rail.

On June 15, 2007, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced a $17 billion transit plan called MoveOntario 2020. One component of the plan was a bus rapid transit line on Highway 2 between Pickering and Oshawa.[4] In November 2007, Metrolinx recommended[5] a funding package of $82.3 million for a "Quick Win" implementation of a bus rapid transit line along Highway 2. This funding package was approved in full as part of the 2008 provincial budget, and a preliminary BRT implementation is expected to be running within three years.

The first phase of BRT implementation, known as DRT Pulse, began service June 29, 2013, operating on the Ontario Highway 2 corridor between Downtown Oshawa and the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. It runs on 7.5 minute headways during rush hour and 15 minute headways during off-peak hours.[6] Connections to Toronto Transit Commission services are available at U of T Scarborough and connections to GO Transit are available at various points along the line.[7]

The initial phase is similar to the first phase of Viva Rapid Transit, with buses running in existing lanes, while the full implementation will provide dedicated bus-only lanes and utilize transit signal priority to save travel time. These lanes, which incorporate bicycle lanes into their design,[8] are already in use on a section of Kingston Road West in Ajax, and are under construction on Kingston Road near Pickering Town Centre.[9]

The BRT is complemented by improved DRT and GO Transit service along Taunton Road, Rossland Road, Bayly/Bloor/Victoria Streets, and Simcoe Street.[10]

A further advancement of rapid transit is now in the proposal stage; the Highway 2 BRT would eventually be replaced with light rail transit all the way east to Courtice Road in Clarington, and west into Scarborough in Toronto. It would be complemented by two further LRT lines: on Simcoe Street in Oshawa (from Bloor to Highway 407), and on Taunton Road (from Simcoe Street in Oshawa to Whites Road in Pickering). This would be augmented by further BRT on Whites Road and Brock Road in Pickering; Harwood Avenue and Salem Road in Ajax; Brock Street and Baldwin Street in Whitby; Highway 7 from the western Pickering border to Simcoe Street in Oshawa; and Taunton Road westerly beyond Whites Road into Toronto on Steeles Avenue.[11]

Fares

The following table shows DRT's fare structure as of May 1, 2015:[12]

Age group Cash Fare 10 Rides Monthly Pass Presto Card
Adults $3.50 $30.00 $112.00 $3.00
GO Transit co-fare $0.75 $0.75
Seniors (65+) $2.25 $20.00 $45.00 $2.00
Student $3.50 $27.00 $91.00 $2.70
Child (5-12) $2.25 $20.00 $63.50 $2.00
Child (under 5) Free
ODSP (Disability card) $45.00
Access Pass (Special Eligibility Requirements) $45.00
Specialized Service $3.50

The provincial Minister of Transportation has announced plans to introduce a unified smartcard-based payment system for the entire Greater Toronto Area called "Presto card". DRT will be a participant in this system beginning in winter 2011.

DRT fares on GO Transit buses

DRT tickets, passes, and transfers are accepted on GO buses operating within Durham Region, allowing riders to freely transfer between DRT and GO buses to complete a trip within the region. Full details about this program are available at the DRT site. The following restrictions are of specific interest:

Effective May 1, 2015,
the following GO buses won't accept DRT tickets, pass and transfers within the Durham Region:

Although, the following GO buses will still accept DRT tickets, passes and transfers within the Durham Region:

Vehicles

Current Conventional Fleet List
Fleet Numbers Year Make/Model Engine/Transmission Fleet size Original Operator
8050 2003 Orion V Detroit Diesel Series 50 / Voith D863.3E 6 Ajax Pickering Transit Authority
8151-8152 2001 Nova LFS Detroit Diesel Series 40 / Allison B400R 2 Oshawa Transit
8153-8160 2002 Nova LFS Detroit Diesel Series 40 / Allison B400R 8 Oshawa Transit
8161-8168 2004 Nova LFS Cummins ISL / ZF 5HP552C 8 Oshawa Transit
8169-8170 2005 Nova LFS Cummins ISL / ZF 6HP552C 2 Oshawa Transit
8171 2006 Nova LFS Cummins ISL / ZF 6HP552C 1 DRT
8172-8173 2005, arrived 2006 Nova LFS Cummins ISL / ZF 6HP552C 2 Originally ordered by Oshawa Transit
8174-8180 1999 Nova LFS Detroit Diesel Series 40 / Allison B400R 7 ex-Philadelphia International Airport Parking Shuttle service operated by First Transit (1999), arrived 2007
8324-8329 2004 Nova LFS Cummins ISL / Allison B400R 6 Whitby Transit
8401-8430 2007 New Flyer D40LF Cummins ISL / Voith D864.3E 30 DRT
8431-8445 2007, arrived late 2007-2008 New Flyer D40LF Cummins ISL-07 / Voith D864.5 15 DRT
8446-8459 2008 New Flyer D40LF Cummins ISL-07 / Voith D864.5 14 DRT
8460-8473 2009, arrived late 2009-2010 New Flyer D40LF Cummins ISL-07 / Voith D864.5 11 DRT
8501-8535 2012 New Flyer XD40 Cummins ISL9 / Voith D864.5 35 DRT
8536-8538 2013 New Flyer XD40 Cummins ISL9 / Voith D864.5 3 DRT
8539-8545 2013 New Flyer XD40 Cummins ISL9 / Allison B400R 7 DRT
8546-8548 2014 New Flyer XD40 Cummins ISL9 / Allison B400R 3 DRT
8601-8626 2013 New Flyer XD40 Cummins ISL9 / Voith D864.5 3 DRT - PULSE

Note: denotes wheelchair accessible

Current Community Bus Fleet List
Fleet Numbers Year Make/Model Engine/Transmission Fleet size Original Operator
8975-8978 2009-2010 ElDorado National E-Z Rider II MAX 30 foot Cummins ISB or ISB6.7 / Allison B300R 4 DRT
8979-8981 2012, 2014 ElDorado National E-Z Rider II BRT Cummins ISB6.7 / Allison B300R 3 DRT

The 4 Overland Custom Coach ELF 125 and 128 (Ford E450) acquired by Ajax Pickering Transit in 2000-2001 are all retired (2008-2009) and replaced by the E-Z Rider II.

Facilities

DRT uses the following maintenance and operational facilities:[13]

Raleigh Division:

Address: 710 Raleigh Avenue, Oshawa
Coordinates: 43°52′57″N 78°49′43″W / 43.88250°N 78.82861°W / 43.88250; -78.82861
Opened: 1965 (original) 1980 (GO Transit expansion)
Facilities: bus storage, maintenance and servicing for DRT (GO Transit no longer operates out of this location 2012-13)

Whitby Works Satellite Division - Trentway-Wagar:

Address: 1559 Victoria Street East, Whitby
Coordinates: 43°51′51.7″N 78°54′21″W / 43.864361°N 78.90583°W / 43.864361; -78.90583
Facilities: bus storage, maintenance and repairs

Westney Division:

Address: 110 Westney Road South, Ajax
Coordinates: 43°50′43″N 79°02′28″W / 43.84528°N 79.04111°W / 43.84528; -79.04111
Opened: 1988
Facilities: bus storage, maintenance and repairs

Pickering Works Satellite Division (Discontinued Late Aug 2014)

Address: 2570 Tillings Road, Pickering
Coordinates: 43°52′26″N 79°05′33″W / 43.87389°N 79.09250°W / 43.87389; -79.09250
Facilities: Previously used for bus storage only. DRT discontinued their use of space at this location Late August 2014; buses were transferred to Westney and/or Raleigh divisions to compensate.

History

DRT was formed in January 2006 through an amalgamation of existing municipal transit systems in Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, and Clarington (Bowmanville). The systems were transferred to the regional government along with the legal authority to operate public transit in the local municipalities. This required approval by both Durham Region Council as well as four out of eight local municipal councils consisting of at least 50% of the population of the Region. The approval process took several years, with final approval for the amalgamation given by Durham Region Council on February 9, 2005. The remainder of 2005 was spent preparing for the merger. DRT assumed its responsibilities and inherited the equipment and facilities of its predecessor systems effective January 1, 2006.

On October 5, 2006, members of Local 222 began a legal strike action against DRT. All services were suspended other than those operated by Trentway-Wagar in Whitby. Limited specialized service continued via the use of contracted taxis. On October 29, a tentative settlement was announced, and full service resumed on November 3.

Previous systems

Public transit service in Durham Region has a long history prior to the creation of DRT, dating back to the 19th century. The list below shows predecessor transit systems in each municipality:

Pickering

Ajax

Whitby

Oshawa

Clarington

See also

- 103 Glenanna Strouds (Rouge Hill GO Station, 38 Highland Creek, 54A/E Lawrence East (at Lawrence Avenue), 85A Sheppard East)
- 900 drt PULSE and 923 Bayly (University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, 38 Highland Creek, 95 York Mills, 198 U of T Scarborough Rocket)

References

  1. ↑ "Durham Region Transit March 2011 meeting". Durham Region Transit. 2011-03-01. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
  2. ↑ DRT Routes as of November 2 2015
  3. ↑ "Durham Region Transit Identifies Low Performing Routes for Service Adjustments". Durham Region Transit. 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  4. ↑ Premier of Ontario Background - MoveOntario 2020 Projects
  5. ↑ Metrolinx 2nd Win Quick Win Projects
  6. ↑ "DRT Introduces New drt PULSE Service to Scarborough". Region of Durham. Durham Region Transit. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "DRT Pulse Map" (PDF). Durham Region Transit. Region of Durham. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  8. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Bus-only and Bicycle Lanes". Highway 2 Transit Priority Measures Class EA and Design. Region of Durham. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  9. ↑ "Reserved Lanes". Works. Region of Durham. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  10. ↑ "With the Arrival of PULSE Service, DRT and GO Transit Focus Their 'One Fare' Agreement". Region of Durham. Durham Region Transit. 27 June 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  11. ↑ http://www.durhamlongtermtransitstrategy.ca/img/DRT_LTSnewsletter4_web_final2.pdf
  12. ↑ DRT Fare structure
  13. ↑ Durham Region Transit Service Strategy

External links

Media related to Durham Region Transit at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, April 13, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.