Guelph is about to get a much need and long overdue overhaul of the transit routes and service levels. Starting January 1st, the entire system sees new routes introduced that make it easier to get to and from major destinations.
The major changes will be the frequency of service in peak and nonpeak hours. From 7 to 9:45 a.m., and 2 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., the buses will run every 15 minutes on weekdays. Outside those times and on weekends, the buses will run every 30 minutes.
After a few years of bouncing around from 30 to 40 to 20 minute service levels, it is nice to see some stability in the schedule. This was a suggestion I made in the past that Guelph Transit should focus on peak rush periods first then expand into the daytime periods (9:45-2:00pm and late evening rush after 5:45pm) later as ridership growth and budget availability dictate.
The new routes were delayed from last fall due to a issue with the contract with transit drivers. Concerns have also been raised as to why introduce new routes in middle of winter January. It is not the most ideal situation but I can understand management wanting to make service better now and not later for riders. There is also the delay in the opening of the new transit terminal, Guelph Central Station which will see all the buses moved in the spring of 2012.
There is also a new morning shuttle service for GO (and non GO riders if they want to use it) starting at 5:30am.
Guelph Transit will now be following 14 basic routes which are broken down here. There is a link to each website page with maps and times. For the full transit route page click here.
Route 1A College Edinburgh (Clockwise)
From the University Center, Route 1A College Edinburgh turns right on South Ring Road, left on Gordon Street, right on Edinburgh Road South, left on Stone Road West, right on Scottsdale Drive, left on Janefield Avenue, right on College Avenue West, right on East Ring Road and right on South Ring Road to the University Center.
Route 1B College Edinburgh (Counter clockwise)
From the University Center, Route 1B College Edinburgh turns left on South Ring Road, left on East Ring Road, left on College Avenue East, left on Janefield Avenue, right on Scottsdale Drive, left on Stone Road West, right on Edinburgh Road South, left on Gordon Street and right on South Ring Road to the University Center.
Route 2A West Loop (Clockwise)
From St. George’s Square, Route 2A West Loop turns right on Macdonell Street, left on Gordon Street, left on South Ring Road to the University Center, right on South Ring Road, left on Gordon, right on Stone Road West, right on Edinburgh Road South, left on Wilsonview Avenue, left on Scottsdale Drive, right on Stone Road West, right on College Avenue West, left on the Hanlon Expressway, left on Wellington Street West, right on Fife Road, right on Elmira Road, right on Willow Road, left on Imperial Road North, right on Woodlawn Road West, right on Woolwich Street and right on Wyndham Street North to St. George’s Square.
Route 2B West Loop (Counter clockwise)
From St. George’s Square, Route 2B West Loop turns left on Woolwich Street, left on Woodlawn Road West, left on Imperial Road North, right on Willow Road, left on Elmira Road, left on Fife Road, left on Wellington Street West, right on Hanlon Expressway, right on College Avenue West, left on Stone Road West, left on Scottsdale Drive, right on Wilsonview Avenue, right on Edinburgh Road South, left on Stone Road West, left on Gordon Street, right on South Ring Road into the University Center, right on South Ring Road, right on Gordon Street, right on Madonell Street and left on Wyndham Street North to St. George’s Square.
Route 3A East Loop (Clockwise)
From St. George’s Square, Route 3A East Loop turns right on Norfolk Street, left on Suffolk Street West, right on Yorkshire Street North, left on London Road West, right on Westmount Road, right on Speedvale Avenue West, left on Kathleen Street, left on Bailey Avenue, right on Nicklin Road, right on Woodlawn Road West, left into the Smart Centres Guelph, left on Woodlawn Road East, left on Inverness Drive, right on Simmonds Drive, right on Victoria Road North, left on Eastview Road, right on Watson Parkway North, right on York Road, left on Victoria Road South, right on Stone Road East, right into the main entrance of the University of Guelph to the University Center, right on South Ring Road, right on Gordon Street, right on Macdonell Street and left on Wyndham Street North to St. George’s Square.
Route 3B East Loop (Counter clockwise)
From St. George’s Square, Route 3B East Loop turns right on Macdonell Street, left on Norfolk Street to Gordon Street, left on South Ring Road and left into the University Center, right on East Ring Road, left on Stone Road East, left on Victoria Road South, right on York Road, left on Watson Parkway North, left on Eastview Road, right on Victoria Road North, left on Simmonds Drive, left on Inverness Drive, right on Woodlawn Road East, right into the Smart Centres Guelph, right on Woodlawn Road West, left to Nicklin Road, left on Bailey Avenue, right on Kathleen Street, right on Speedvale Avenue West, left on Westmount Road, left on London Road West, right on Yorkshire, left on Suffolk Street West, right on Woolwich Street and right on Wyndham Street North to St. George’s Square.
From St. George’s Square, Route 4 York turns right on Wyndham Street North, left on Wellington Street East, right on Neeve Street, left on Ontario Street, left on York Road, right on Watson Road South, right on Watson Parkway South, left on York Road, right on Ontario Street, right on Neeve Street, left on Wellington Street East and right on Wyndham Street North to St. George’s Square.
From the University Center, Route 5 South Gordon turns right on South Ring Road, left on Gordon Street, left on Arkell Road, right on Summerfield Drive, right on Victoria Road South, right on Fredrick Drive, left on Goodwin Drive, left on Farley Drive, right on Claire Road West, right on Gosling Gardens, right on Clairfields Drive West, left on Gordon Street and right on South Ring Road to the University Center.
From the University Center, Route 6 Harvard Ironwood turns right on South Ring Road, left on Gordon Street, right on Harvard Road, right on Youngman Drive, right on Edinburgh Road South, left on Stone Road West, left on Scottsdale Drive, right on Ironwood Road continuing to Scottsdale Drive, right on Stone Road West, right on Edinburgh Road South, left on Youngman Drive, left on Harvard Road, left on Gordon Street and right on South Ring Road to the University Center.
From the University Center, Route 7 Kortright Downey turns right on South Ring Road, left on Gordon Street, right on Kortright Road West, right turn on Niska Road, left on Ptarmigan Drive, left on Downey Road continuing on Kortright Road West, left on Gordon Street and right on South Ring Road to the University Center.
From St. George’s Square, Route 8 Stone Road Mall turns right on Wyndham Street North, right on Wellington Street East, left on Gordon Street, right on Water Street, left on Maple Street, right on Forest Street, left on Edinburgh Road South, right on College Avenue West, left on Janefield Avenue, left on Scottsdale Drive, right on College Avenue West, left on Edinburgh Road South, right on Bristol Street, left on Yorkshire Street North, right on Waterloo Avenue to Wilson Street, right on Macdonell Street and left on Wyndham Street North to St. George’s Square.
Route 9 West End Community Centre
From St. George’s Square, Route 9 West End Community Centre turns right on Macdonell Street, left on Norfolk Street, right on Waterloo Avenue, right on Wellington Street West, right on Imperial Road South, left into the West End Recreation Centre, turn right on Imperial Road South, right on Paisley Road, left on Elmira Road, left on West Acres Drive, right turn on Imperial Road South, left on Wellington Street West, left on Waterloo Avenue to Wilson Street, right on Macdonell Street and left on Wyndham Street North to St. George’s Square.
From St. George’s Square, Route 10 Imperial travels on Quebec Street to Paisley Street, continuing on Paisley Road, right turn on Silvercreek Parkway North, left on Westwood Road, left on Willow Road, left on Imperial Road, left on Stephanie Drive, right on Paisley Road to Paisley Street, and continuing on Quebec Street to St. George’s Square.
From St. George’s Square, Route 11 Willow West turns right on Norfolk Street, left on Suffolk Street West, right turn on Edinburgh Road North, left on Willow Road, right on Dawson Road, left on Speedvale Avenue West, left on Marksam Road, left on Willow Road, right on Edinburgh Road North, left on Paisley Street and continuing on Quebec Street to St. George’s Square.
From St. George’s Square, Route 12 General Hospital travels on Wyndham Street North continuing on Eramosa Road, turning left on Delhi Street, right on Emma Street, left on Stevenson Street North, right on Speedvale Avenue East, left on Delaware Avenue, right on Brant Avenue, left on Montana Road, left on Woodlawn Road, left on Inverness Drive, right on Windsor Street, right on Waverly Drive, left turn on Metcalfe Street, right on Speedvale Avenue East, left on Delhi Street, right on Eramosa Road and continuing on Wyndham Street North to St. George’s Square.
Route 13 Victoria Road Recreation Centre
From St. George’s Square, Route 13 Victoria Road Recreation Centre continues on Wyndham Street North to Eramosa Road, turning right on Metcalfe Street, left turn on Grange Street, left on Stevenson Street, right on Cassino Drive, left on Hadati Road, right on Victoria Road North, right on Eastview Road, right on Watt Street, left on Auden Road, left on Eastview Road, right on Victoria Road North, left on Eramosa Road and continuing on Wyndham Street North to St. George’s Square.
From St. George’s Square, Route 14 Grange turns left on Macdonell Street, right on Elizabeth Street, left on Victoria Road North, right on Grange Road, right on Watson Parkway North, right on Starwood Drive, left on Grange Road, left on Victoria Road North, right on Elizabeth Street, left on Macdonell Street and right on Wyndham Street North to St. George’s Square.
All information for the routes was provided by the City of Guelph.