Local users of Grand River Transit will be paying higher fares later this year … at least for as long as bus service continues rolling in Woolwich.
GRT will be making recommendations to the Waterloo Region council’s planning and works committee Feb. 15 regarding the future of the Elmira and St. Jacobs bus route. Although they will not comment about what those recommendations might entail, John Cicuttin, manager of transit development, said ridership is lower than many of the regions’ lines.
An average weekday includes about 300 paying riders, not including those using transfers, taking route 21, while the region’s busiest line, mainline 7 from Fairview Park to Conestoga Mall and through the universities, sees about 10,000 riders in the same period.
Cicuttin said fares do not ever cover the cost of operating any of the GRT’s routes, but fares from the route 21 only cover 25 per cent of costs, lower than the region’s average of 37 per cent.
“Ultimately it’s the committee’s decision,” Cicuttin said. “The encouraging thing is ridership is growing, and that’s the more positive sign.”
The route was expanded after it saw success running only in the summer to the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market and downtown St. Jacobs from Conestoga Mall. An initial one-year trial period was extended for a second year while the GRT evaluates ridership.
GRT also announced a five per cent fare rate increase for this year, which will be approved in the 2011 budget in March and will take effect in July.
The rate increase will most likely be spread across tickets and monthly passes, although GRT is not ruling out the option of a cash fare increase as well. The current cash fare is $2.50, while adult fares are $9 for five tickets and $60 for a monthly pass. The last time the cash fare was increased was 2007, while the cost for passes and tickets went up again in 2009.
“In the past many riders are accepting of the fare increase as long as we continue to improve service,” Cicuttin said.
The region plans to expand its busiest lines to help alleviate over crowding and wait times as part of an overall initiative to improve transit services. Main routes included in the plan, like the Ixpress, are located in Kitchener and Waterloo. Currently, only route 21 operates locally.
