- Durham Region Transit
-
Durham Region Transit 
#8172 waits at the Ajax GO Station.Slogan Connecting Communities Founded 2006 Headquarters Whitby, Ontario Service area All of Durham Region Service type Public transit Hubs Pickering GO Stn, Pickering Town Centre, Ajax GO Stn, Ajax Plaza, Whitby GO Stn, Oshawa GO Stn, Oshawa Centre, Durham College/UOIT, Downtown Oshawa Fuel type Diesel Operator Durham Region, Trentway-Wagar (Whitby) Web site 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.
Contents
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:
- Raleigh (originally known as DRT East) serving the City of Oshawa and the Municipality of Clarington
- Victoria (originally known as DRT Centre) serving the Town of Whitby
- Westney (originally known as DRT West) serving the Town of Ajax and the City of Pickering
- North (originally known as DRT North) serving the Townships of Brock, Scugog, and Uxbridge
- DRT Specialized Services providing service for the disabled
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:
- 1: Pickering
- 2: Ajax
- 3: Whitby
- 4: Oshawa
- 5: Clarington
- 9: Regional routes
Route list
Number Route Name Operates 100s Pickering 101/101B Industrial Mon-Sat 102 Liverpool weekday rush 121 Liverpool/Finch/Hwy 2 weekday midday & Saturday 103 Amberlea weekday rush 104 Glendale AM rush 141 Glendale/Maple Ridge PM rush 144 Glendale/Maple Ridge weekday midday & Saturday 105 West Shore weekday rush 106 Bay Ridges weekday rush 165 Bay Ridges/West Shore weekday midday & Saturday 107/107B Rosebank Mon-Sat 108 Village East weekday rush 122 Village East/Brock Road weekday midday & Saturday 109 Rouge Hill Shuttle weekday rush 111 Finch/Hwy 2 weekday rush 112 Brock Road weekday rush 114 Maple Ridge weekday rush 115 Lookout Point weekday rush 180 Village/Brock/Industrial evening & Sunday 181 Liverpool/Finch Hwy 2/Glendale/Maple Ridge evening & Sunday 182 Bayridges/Westshore/Rosebank evening & Sunday 183 Amberlea evening & Sunday 200s Ajax 218 Beach Mon-Sat 219 Ravenscroft Mon-Sat 221 Delaney Mon-Sat 222 Audley South weekday rush 224 Harwood Mon-Sat 225 Audley North Mon-Sat 226 Duffins Mon-Sat 232 Village Mon-Sat 280 Westney/Village/Delaney evening & Sunday 281 Beach/Audley South/Puckrin/Elm evening & Sunday 282 Applecroft/Nottingham/Audley North evening & Sunday 283 Duffins/Harwood evening & Sunday 300s Whitby 301 West Lynde/Otter Creek Mon-Fri 302/302B Brock/Brooklin daily 303 Garden Mon-Fri 318 Otter Creek/Garden/Whitby Shores evening & weekend 304 Anderson daily 305/305B Thickson/Garrard daily 306 White Oaks/Oshawa Centre daily 308 Whitby Shores Mon-Fri 400s Oshawa 401 Simcoe daily 402 King daily 403/403B Park daily 404 College Hill/GO Station Mon-Sat 405 Central Park Mon-Sat 406/406B Dean daily 407/407B Ritson daily 408 Stevenson daily 409 Thornton daily 410 Olive/Harmony daily 411 Grandview daily 412 Adelaide daily 419 GO Shuttle weekday daily 420 Durham College/UOIT weekday daily 413 GO Shuttle weekday peak 414 Community Shuttle weekday midday 419 GO Station via Thornton Road weekday peak 419B GO Station via Stevenson Road weekday peak 420 Durham College/UOIT weekday peak 421 Townline Mon-Fri 500s Clarington 501 Aspen Springs daily 502 Liberty daily 503 Wilmot Creek Mon/Weds/Fri 504 Orono/Newcastle Tues/Thurs 900s Regional Routes 915 Taunton daily 916/916B Rossland Mon-Sat 922 Bloor/Victoria Mon-Fri 950 Uxbridge/Port Perry/UOIT daily Others Brock Community Bus Mon-Fri Claremont Community Bus
Pickering Town Centre–ClaremontFriday only East Uxbridge Tues/Fri West Uxbridge Tues/Fri Regional route descriptions
- 915 Taunton: Pickering GO Station to Ajax GO Station via Bayly Street; Westney Road through Ajax; Taunton Road through Whitby and Oshawa; Simcoe Street to UOIT
- 916 Rossland: Ajax GO Station to Harwood Street in Ajax; Rossland Street through Whitby and Oshawa; Grandview Street and Ritson Road to UOIT
- 922 Bloor/Victoria: Whitby GO Station to Water Street and South Blair Street in Whitby; Victoria Street in Oshawa; Bloor Street through Oshawa to Courtice (Clarington)
- 950 Uxbridge/Port Perry/UOIT: UOIT to Port Perry (Scugog) via Route 2; Route 8 to Uxbridge
Service changes
In its first year of operation in 2006, DRT implemented a number of service changes:
- A common fare across Durham Region including transfer privileges
- Access to GO Transit bus services operating within Durham Region for a standard DRT fare or transfer
- Service for the northern communities of Port Perry, Brock, and Uxbridge in the form of community buses operating on specific days of the week
- Implementation of Fixed-route evening/Sunday service in Ajax and Pickering replacing the former "dial-a-bus" service.
- Service level improvements on several routes
- The introduction of several new or extended routes, including:
- Rush-hour Service along Brock Street/Baldwin Street (Highway 12) to Brooklin
- Rush-hour Service along Bloor Street and Victoria Street (Durham Regional Road 22) from Oshawa GO to Whitby GO Train Stations
- Service on Audley Road in Ajax, both south of Bayly Street and north of Kingston Road
- Service along Townline Road in eastern Oshawa and Courtice
- Weekend service to Whitby and Oshawa GO Transit stations
In 2007, the following new services were introduced:
- 915 Taunton: grid service from Pickering GO Station via Bayly, Westney, Taunton and Simcoe to Durham College/UOIT
- 916 Rossland : grid service from Ajax GO Station via Westney, Bayly, Harwood, Rossland, Grandview, Taunton, Ritson, Conlin and Simcoe
- 302 Brock/Brooklin: increased service to Brooklin
- 20 Westney and 40 Applecroft, and elimination of 23 Nottingham as a separate route
- 504 Orono/Newcastle: revised to include Newcastle
- 950 Uxbridge/Port Perry/UOIT: a grid weekday route from Uxbridge and Port Perry to Durham College/UOIT
- replacement of Whitby dial a ride and shuttle bus service from the GO station with fixed routes
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.[2]
Rapid transit
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 dollar transit plan called MoveOntario 2020. One component of the plan was a bus rapid transit line on Highway 2 between Pickering and Oshawa.[3]
In November 2007, Metrolinx recommended [4] 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 BRT is expected to operate using new hybrid buses running on 7.5 minute headways during rush hour and 15 minute headways during off-peak hours. Buses will utilize transit signal priority to save travel time. The initial phase will be similar to the first phase of Viva, with buses running in existing lanes, while the full implementation will provide dedicated transit/High-occupancy vehicle lane lanes. Connections to Toronto Transit Commission services in Scarborough are expected.
The BRT would be complemented by improved service along Taunton Road, Rossland Road, Bayly/Bloor/Victoria Streets, and Simcoe Street.
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 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. [1]
Fares
The following table shows DRT's fare structure as of July 1, 2011:[5]
Age group Cash Fare 10 Rides Monthly Pass Adults $2.90 $26.25 $97.00 GO Transit co-fare $0.65 $6.25 $25.00 Seniors (65+) $1.90 $17.85 $39.00 Student- unrestricted $2.90 $24.20 $81.50 Student- restricted $68.25 Child (5-12) $1.90 $17.85 $57.65 Child (under 5) Free ODSP (Disability card) $39.00 Specialized Service $2.90 Access Pass (Special Eligibility Requirements) $39.00 - restricted student passes are only valid Monday to Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
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:
- Riders wishing to pay cash fares for GO bus service will need to pay the regular GO fare for the applicable zones, not the DRT fare.
- Trips on GO buses that start or terminate outside of Durham Region are charged the regular GO fare
- Trips on GO trains are not affected by this program.
Vehicles
The following conventional fleet roster is as of September 2008:
Current Conventional Fleet List Fleet Numbers Year Make/Model Engine/Transmission Fleet size Original Operator 8001-8008 1999 Orion VI 
Detroit Diesel Series 50 / Allison B400R 8 Pickering Transit 8009-8011 1999 Orion VI Detroit Diesel Series 50 / Allison B400R 3 Ajax Transit 8012-8013 1994 Orion V Detroit Diesel Series 50 / Voith D863.3 2 Ajax Transit 8014-8015 1994 Orion V Cummins L10 / Voith D863.3 2 Pickering Transit 8016-8017 1992 Orion V Detroit Diesel 6V92TA / Voith D863.3 2 Ajax Transit 8018-8019 1992 Orion V Cummins L10 / Voith D863.3 2 Pickering Transit 8050-8055 2003 Orion V Detroit Diesel Series 50 / Voith D863.3E 6 Ajax Pickering Transit Authority 8060-8061 1990 Orion V Detroit Diesel 6V92TA / Allison HTB-748 2 Ajax Pickering Transit Authority, Ex. Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority 8062-8065 1992 Orion V Detroit Diesel 6V92TA / Allison HT-748 4 Ajax Pickering Transit Authority, Ex. Port Authority of Allegheny County 8066 1994 Orion V Detroit Diesel 6V92TA / Allison HT-748 1 Lynx 8129-8132 1990 Orion V Detroit Diesel 6V92TA / Voith D863.3 4 Oshawa Transit 8133-8136 1991 Orion V Detroit Diesel 6V92TA / Voith D863.3 4 Oshawa Transit 8137-8145 1992 Orion V Detroit Diesel 6V92TA / Voith D863.3 9 Oshawa Transit 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 8172-8173 2005, arrived 2006 Nova LFS Cummins ISL / ZF 6HP552C 2 8174-8180 1999 Nova LFS Detroit Diesel Series 40 / Allison B400R 7 First: Philadelphia Airport), arrived 2007 8318 1994 Orion V Detroit Diesel 6V92TA / Voith D863.3 1 Whitby Transit 8321-8322 1998 Orion VI Detroit Diesel Series 50 / Allison B400R 2 Whitby Transit 8324-8329 2004 Nova LFS Cummins ISL / Allison B400R 6 Whitby Transit 8330-8332 1997 Orion V Detroit Diesel Series 50 / Allison B400R 3 Whitby Transit 8401-8430 2007 New Flyer D40LF Cummins ISL / Voith D864.3E 30 8431-8445 2007, arrived late 2007-2008 New Flyer D40LF Cummins ISL-07 / Voith D864.5 15 8446-8459 2008 New Flyer D40LF Cummins ISL-07 / Voith D864.5 14 8460-8470 2009 New Flyer D40LF Cummins ISL-07 / Voith D864.5 11 Notes:
- denotes wheelchair accessible
- On each line of the table, groups of fleet numbers, separated by commas, correspond to the years listed on that line.
- Ajax Transit and Pickering Transit vehicles were operated by the Ajax Pickering Transit Authority (APTA) prior to the creation of DRT.
- Ajax Transit, APTA, and Pickering Transit-sourced buses are generally operated throughout Ajax and Pickering. Whitby and Oshawa-sourced buses generally stay in their home city. However, some exceptions include cross regional routes and equipment transfers between divisions.
In addition, there are 26 Specialized Service cutaway vans used for Flag Bus and for specialized services. The current Flag Bus Fleet consists of three ElDorado National E-Z Rider II MAX 30 foot buses and 2 Overland Custom Coach ELFs.
Facilities
DRT uses the following maintenance and operational facilities:[6]
Raleigh Division:
- Address: 710 Raleigh Avenue, Oshawa
- Coordinates: 43°52′57″N 78°49′43″W / 43.8825°N 78.82861°W
- Opened: 1965 (original) 1980 (GO Transit expansion)
- Facilities: bus storage, maintenance and servicing for DRT and GO Transit
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
- 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
- Opened: 1988
- Facilities: bus storage, maintenance and repairs
Pickering Works Satellite Division
- Address: 2570 Tillings Road, Pickering
- Coordinates: 43°52′26″N 79°05′33″W / 43.87389°N 79.0925°W
- Facilities: bus storage and minimal maintenance by City of Pickering mechanics
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
- Pickering Transit 1970s-2001
- Ajax Pickering Transit Authority 2001-2005
Ajax
- Charterways Transportation Limited 1969-1973
- Ajax Transit 1973-2001
- Ajax Pickering Transit Authority 2001-2005
Whitby
- Burley Bus Lines
- Charterways Transportation Limited
- Whitby Transit ?-2005
- Specialized Service provided by Handi-Transit 1974-2005
Oshawa
- Oshawa Railway Company (operated by Canadian National Railway) 1895-1959
- Queen Bus Lines 1920s
- Oshawa Transit 1960-2005
- Specialized Service provided by Handi-Transit 1974-2005
Clarington
- Clarington Transit 2002-2005
- Specialized Service provided by Handi-Transit 1974-2005
See also
- Toronto Transit Commission - connections made with Rouge Hill Shuttle
- GO Transit - connections made many services
External links
References
- ^ "Durham Region Transit March 2011 meeting". Durham Region Transit. 2011-03-01. http://www.durham.ca/departments/clerk/minutesPDF.asp?id=13987. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ^ "Durham Region Transit Identifies Low Performing Routes for Service Adjustments". Durham Region Transit. 2007-12-03. http://www.durhamregiontransit.com/durham/index.aspx?ArticleID=448&lang=en-CA. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
- ^ Premier of Ontario Background - MoveOntario 2020 Projects
- ^ Metrolinx 2nd Win Quick Win Projects
- ^ http://www.durhamregiontransit.com/durham/index_e.aspx?ArticleID=80
- ^ Durham Region Transit Service Strategy
Public transport in the Greater Toronto Area Agencies Brampton Transit • Burlington Transit • Durham Region Transit • Metrolinx (GO Transit) • Milton Transit • MiWay • Oakville Transit • Toronto Transit Commission • York Region TransitRail Amtrak • GO Transit • Hurontario-Main Street LRT • LINK Train • Ontario Northland • Toronto streetcar system • Toronto subway and RT • Via RailBus and coach GO Transit • Mississauga Transitway • Toronto Transit Commission buses • Viva • ZümMajor stations Ajax Plaza Bus Terminal • Bramalea Terminal • Finch Bus Terminal • Mississauga City Centre Transit Terminal • Newmarket Bus Terminal • Oshawa Bus Terminal • Richmond Hill Centre Terminal • Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal • Square One Bus Terminal • Toronto Coach Terminal • Union Train Station and Bus TerminalAccessible transit Related articles Presto card • The Big Move • Transit CityCategories:- Transportation in Durham Region
- Transit agencies in Ontario
- 2006 introductions
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