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Plan proposed for regional transit system

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A transit system is being proposed that would link communities within the Grand River watershed, offering people much needed bus service.

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Grand River Transit worker Warren Schnurr, who drafted the initiative, called Link The Watershed, said it would connect eight local urban and rural transit services, including Brantford Transit, Guelph Transit and Grand River Transit, along with rural carriers, such as Brant Transit, Norfolk Ride, Wellington Ride Well, Guelph-Owen Sound Transportation and PC Connect.

“Although in close proximity to each other, (these communities) don’t have efficient, if any, transit links between them,” Schnurr said on a recent live Zoom presentation. “Most notable are the links between Guelph and Cambridge and Brantford and Cambridge.

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“Transit users have been vocal for years about poor connectivity between our communities.”

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Schnurr said although GO Transit service is available in the local urban areas (Brantford, Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph), it’s not geared to transit users who need local connections.

He said the loss of Greyhound Canada, which ended its services earlier this year, “has exacerbated already lacking inter-community transit options.”

Proposed “core” routes in the system are Brantford to Cambridge, which would run from the Brantford bus terminal on downtown Darling Street to the Ainslie Terminal in Cambridge and back with stops along the way, and those running through Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph. Transit users could use their local transit passes and fares to travel to the next community.

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Three of the four routes, including Brantford to Cambridge, would have a 45-minute, one-way schedule, said Schnurr.

“The travel times will be much shorter. Right now, using GO Transit from Cambridge to Guelph can be a two- to three-hour journey.”

Travelling from Brantford to Cambridge, a 20- to 25-minute car ride, “is about a five-hour transit connection at this time,” he said.

The total cost of the proposed transit service is $7.5 million, including an estimated annual operating cost for Brantford Transit of $1.7 million.

Schnurr said he hopes money could come from the provincial and federal governments. He made reference to an announcement in March that the Ontario government was increasing support for transit access across the province through the Safe Restart program. A media release issued at the time said there was $650 million available to municipalities.

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“It’s the perfect opportunity to get in and implement these services, said Schnurr, adding that the proposal uses existing service providers and doesn’t require a huge investment in infrastructure.

The next step, he said, is for officials from each transit service to work together to refine the proposal, determine final costs and apply for funding.

Maria Vissochi, Brantford’s director of communications, said the city hasn’t yet seen the proposal but a “link between the communities is of interest to Brantford and there is potential to create a link that is currently not in place.”

Vissochi said that, while city staff can meet to discuss options and costs, “councils from each community would ultimately be responsible to approve the next steps in the process.”

Terry Johnson, president of Transport Action Canada, a transportation advocacy group, said the proposal makes sense.

“There’s a lot here that’s really straight forward, hard to argue with, and cost effective,” he said. “I really hope politicians will see that.”

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