This morning York Region's Transportation Services Committee held their monthly meeting, and there was good news on the agenda: Ridership rose an estimated 15.1% year-over-year in March (PDF link), meeting and even slightly exceeding the trend of double-digit growth in ridership seen before last year's labour strike. (For comparison, the highest growth figure reported last year was 14.6%, in August [PDF link].)

This is significant because it suggests YRT's plan to attract riders back with two months of free service worked: Despite a slow start in February, in March there were as many riders using the system as would have been expected had the strike never occurred. Of course, what remains to be seen is how many riders continued to use the service after the free period expired. And we won't know that until ridership figures for April become available, later this month.

Other items mentioned in the agenda include:

• The YRT/Viva Enforcement annual report for 2011 (PDF link), which among other things shows Viva riders are becoming more honest: Although more riders were inspected in 2011, only 1.38% were caught without fare versus 1.6% in 2010.

• A recommendation (PDF link) to amend the agreement with the City of Toronto that currently allows Viva Orange to operate on part of the busway (the dedicated roadway) that connects York University to the Downsview subway station. Essentially, Toronto has asked the Region to begin paying an extra $80,000 per year for the right to continue using the busway, to help the city defray the costs of having constructed it in the first place.

  The recommendation is to agree to pay this sum since—get this—the five minutes shaved off Viva Orange's travel time by using the busway adds up to a savings of $256,000 per year in reduced operating expenses. (And that, riders, is why operating costs—which are predominantly labour costs—matter.)

• A recommendation (PDF link) to provide an additional $6.6 million in payment to Ultramar, which supplies the fuel used to operate conventional (non-Viva) YRT buses. This money will effectively top up the existing purchase order. Reasons given for the expenditure include the rising cost of diesel fuel, the price of which has gone up an eyebrow-raising 38% since 2010; and the new north-division contract with Tok Transit, which apparently stipulated the Region would supply fuel for those buses. (The previous contractor, First Canada, was responsible for purchasing its own fuel.)

• A request (PDF link) to award contracts to Royal Taxi, Care Accessible Transportation and Mobility Transportation Specialists for operating portions of Mobility Plus. Each of these contracts is worth just shy of $12 million—paratransit is big business!

Representatives from York Region Transit will be at the Keswick branch of the Georgina Public Libraries today between 5 and 7 pm, talking to riders about the agency's proposed service initiatives for 2013. If you're a regular rider in Georgina, be sure to drop by the library and give YRT your feedback about how the transit system is working for you.

This is the ninth and final Public Information Centre (PIC) the agency is holding to present its proposed 2013 Service Plan. If you haven't gone to one of these events yet to give YRT your feedback about the changes it's proposing, today is your last chance!

Getting There

Transit options for getting to the PIC are limited: Only one bus, Route 51, actually goes by the library. Riders from outside Keswick will need reach the area by Route 69 first, then transfer to Route 51 or perhaps walk across to the library. Route 424 may also be an option for riders within Keswick. See the Route Navigators on YRT's website for more details.

Did you attend one of the PICs this past month? Post and comment and let us know what your experience was like!

Representatives from York Region Transit will be at Richmond Hill Centre Terminal today between 4 and 7 pm, talking to riders about the agency's proposed service initiatives for 2013. If you're a regular rider in Richmond Hill, be sure to drop by the terminal and give YRT your feedback about how the transit system is working for you.

This is the eighth of nine Public Information Centres (PICs) the agency is holding to present its proposed 2013 Service Plan. Be sure to review the plan materials ahead of time so you understand how the changes YRT is considering might affect your usual routes.

Getting There

Getting to Richmond Hill Centre Terminal by transit is easy.

• By Viva: Ride Viva Blue on Yonge Street or Viva Purple on Highway 7 to the terminal. Alternatively, ride Viva Pink, which travels between the Unionville GO station to the east and Finch Station to the south.

• From Yonge Street: Ride Route 99 to the terminal.

• From Highway 7: Ride Route 1 to the terminal.

• From Bayview Avenue: Ride Route 91B south to the terminal (or north from Finch Station).

• From within Richmond Hill: Routes 83 and 87 serve areas to the north and west, respectively, of the terminal.

See the Route Navigators on YRT's website for details about these routes. And as always, be sure to share your experience here once you're back from the PIC.

Representatives from York Region Transit will be at the King Township Public Library on King Road today between 5 and 7 pm, talking to riders about the agency's proposed service initiatives for 2013. If you're a regular rider in King Township, be sure to come by the library and give YRT your feedback about how the transit system is working for you.

This is the fifth of nine Public Information Centres (PICs) the agency is holding to present its proposed 2013 Service Plan. Be sure to review the plan materials ahead of time so you understand how the changes YRT is considering might affect your usual routes.

Getting There

Options for getting to the PIC by transit are limited: Only Routes 22 and 22A go by the library, connecting it to the Seneca College campus and Bloomington Road to the north, Yonge Street and King Road to the east, and Keele Street and York University (22A only) to the south. Viva Blue riders can transfer to the 22 or 22A at the King Vivastation.

See the Route Navigator on YRT's website for details. And as always, be sure to share your experience here once you're back from the PIC.

At last, we have the first indication of how successful YRT's free-service gambit has been in attracting riders back to the service: Ridership in February was up 3.5% over the year before, as revealed yesterday morning in Commissioner Kathleen Llewellyn-Thomas' report to the Transportation Service Committee (PDF link). Good news, right?

Well, it is good news that the drivers' aggressive behaviour during the recent labour strike didn't scare away riders altogether. However, before we celebrate, it's worth pointing out ridership is still down from what would otherwise have been expected. Leading up to the strike last year, the trend was double-digit year-over-year growth in ridership every month: 10.6% in July, 14.6% in August and 13.1% in September (PDF links). So an increase of 3.5%, while good, suggests quite a few riders found even fare-free travel wasn't enough to bring them back on-board.

Then again, it could be they had a change of heart in March. We'll know better next month when ridership figures for the second half of the free-service period are released.

Detours on Routes 4 and 40 this Weekend

YRT has quietly announced detours for Routes 4, Major Mackenzie and 40, Unionville Local this weekend:

• Tomorrow, Route 4 will be on detour between 1:00 and 2:45 in the afternoon. YRT describes the detour as, south on Cranston Park Ave., left on McNaughton Rd., south on Keele St., left on Major Mackenzie Dr. to route. Note that as a result some bus stops will be missed along McNaughton Road and Major Mackenzie Drive—plan your trips carefully!.

• Saturday, Route 40 goes on detour from 10 am to 5 pm. YRT's description:

  Route 40 westbound detour: west on Carlton, north on Kennedy, west on 16th Ave., south on Village Pky. to route.

  Route 40 eastbound detour: reverse westbound detour routing.

Easter Service

Finally, YRT's service schedule this weekend, as published in March's MyTransit newsletter:

• Sunday/holiday service for tomorrow, Good Friday.

• Regular weekday service this Monday.

Have a safe and happy Easter weekend!

Representatives from York Region Transit will be at Vaughan Mills mall today between 4 and 7 pm, talking to riders about the agency's proposed service initiatives for 2013. If you're a regular rider in Vaughan, be sure to come by the mall and give YRT your feedback about how the transit system is working for you.

This is the fourth of nine Public Information Centres (PICs) the agency is holding to present its proposed 2013 Service Plan. Be sure to review the plan materials ahead of time so you understand how the changes YRT is considering might affect your usual routes.

Getting There

Naturally, the best way to get to Vaughan Mills mall is by transit. Here's how to get there:

• By Viva: Ride Viva Blue to either Major Mackenzie or 16th-Carrville, then transfer to a YRT bus (see below) and continue westbound to the mall.

• From Yonge Street: Ride Route 99 to Major Mackenzie Drive, then transfer to either Route 4 or 4A westbound and continue to the mall. Alternatively, take Route 99 to 16th Avenue, then transfer to the 85 or 85A westbound.

• From Major Mackenzie Drive: Ride Route 4 or 4A westbound to the mall.

• From 16th Avenue: Ride Route 85 or 85A westbound to the mall.

• From the south: Ride either Route 12 or Route 20 (which originates at York University) northbound.

• From the Yorkdale subway station in Toronto: Ride Route 360, an express route, northbound.

For details, see the appropriate Route Navigator from YRT. And as always, be sure to share your experience here once you're back from the PIC.

Representatives from York Region Transit will be at the Newmarket GO terminal today between 4 and 7 pm, talking to riders about the agency's proposed service initiatives for 2013. If you're a regular rider in Newmarket, be sure to come give YRT your feedback about how the transit system is working for you.

This is the third of nine Public Information Centres (PICs) the agency is holding to present its proposed 2013 Service Plan. Be sure to review the plan materials ahead of time so you understand how the changes YRT is considering might affect your usual routes.

Getting There

The GO terminal in Newmarket is particularly easy to get to:

• By Viva: Ride Viva Blue northbound to the end of the line. (Remember if you're travelling from south of Aurora, you may need to purchase a Zone Upgrade before you board.)

• From Yonge Street: North of Bernard Avenue, take Route 98 northbound to the terminal. Riders south of Bernard can first take 99 northbound to Bernard Terminal, then transfer there to the 98 (or to Viva Blue, by walking to the Bernard Vivastation on Yonge Street).

• From Davis Drive or the 404 Town Centre: Ride Route 55 or 55B westbound to the terminal.

• From Eagle Street or the 404 Town Centre: Ride Route 56 westbound to the terminal.

• From York University, Keele Street south of King Road, or King Road between Keele and Yonge: Ride Route 22A northbound to the terminal (or Route 22 northbound to Yonge Street, then transfer).

• From Keswick, Sutton or Beaverton: Ride Route 69 southbound to the terminal.

• From within Newmarket: Routes 44, 52, 53, 422, 425, 520 and 521 all serve the terminal and areas around it. Check the Route Navigators on YRT's website to see if one of these will be stopping near you.

And as always, be sure to share your experience here once you're back from the PIC.

York Region Transit has announced a number of schedule adjustments for Viva Blue and Blue "A" that take effect this Sunday, affecting the service frequency as well as the first and last departure times for these routes. There are too many changes for me to summarize here, so visit YRT's website for the details if you rely on either of these buses.

And of course, remember that also this Sunday the usual fare policies come into effect and you'll once again need to pay a fare to board a YRT bus or ride on Viva. Yes, sadly tomorrow is the very last day of the two months of free service we've enjoyed from YRT. Make sure you pick up tickets or a monthly pass today or tomorrow so you don't get caught out!

Safe travels this weekend.

Representatives of York Region Transit will be at Markville Mall in Markham today between 4 and 7 pm, talking to riders about the agency's proposed service initiatives for 2013. If you're a regular rider in Markham, be sure to come by the upper level of the mall and give YRT your feedback about how the transit system is working for you.

This is the second of nine Public Information Centres (PICs) the agency is holding over the next month to present their proposed 2013 Service Plan. Be sure to review the plan materials ahead of time so you understand how the changes YRT is considering might affect your usual routes.

Getting There

Markville Mall is located at the northwest corner of Highway 7 and McCowan road and is easy to get to by YRT/Viva. Here's how to get there:

• By Viva: Take Viva Purple or Viva Green to either of the Bullock or McCowan Vivastations. The mall is on the north side of the road.

• From Highway 7: Take Route 1 to the Hwy 7/Bullock or Hwy 7/McCowan stops.

• From McCowan Road (or Scarborough Town Centre): Take TTC Route 129A to the McCowan Rd/Highway 7 stop.

• From within Markham: Local routes 40, 41 and 42 all stop at Markville Mall and serve the western, eastern and northern parts of Markham, respectively. Check the Route Navigators for these routes to see if they pass through your area.

Once you're back from the PIC, be sure to post about your experience here!

York Region Transit is holding the first of nine scheduled Public Information Centres (PICs) today in the front lobby of the Aurora Public Library, at 15145 Yonge Street on the northeast corner of Yonge and Church Street. Drop by between 4 to 7 pm to speak with a YRT staff member about the service changes proposed for 2013.

If you're a regular rider in Aurora, I hope you'll attend this PIC and let YRT know how the transit system is working for you—these events are one of the key ways the agency collects feedback from its customers during the year. Be sure to review the 2013 Service Plan proposals ahead of time so you understand the changes YRT is considering and how they might affect your usual routes.

Getting There

Naturally, the best way to get to the PIC is aboard YRT/Viva. Here's how you can get to the library later today:

• By Viva: Take Viva Blue north or south to the Wellington Vivastation, then walk south two blocks to Church Street. The library is on the northeast corner.

• From Yonge Street: North of Bernard Avenue, take Route 98 to the Yonge St/Church St stop (number 1744 if you're heading north; 4683 if you're heading south). Riders south of Bernard can first take 99 northbound to Bernard Terminal, then transfer there to the 98 (or to Viva Blue, by walking to the Bernard Vivastation on Yonge Street).

  Riders on Yonge north of Church Street can alternatively take Route 22A south to the Yonge St/Church St stop (4683) instead.

• From Bayview Ave north of Wellington Street, or Wellington west of Bayview: Take Route 54 southbound/westbound to its terminus at Victoria and Wellington (stop 6183), then walk two blocks south and one block west to Yonge and Church (or, if that's a bit far for you, board the 54 again northbound and exit at the first stop, number 6174).

• From York University, Keele Street south of King Road, or King east of Yonge: Take Route 22A north to the Yonge St/Church St stop (1744).

Once you're back from the PIC, be sure to post about your experience here!