The Transit Action Alliance of Guelph is calling for fast, frequent, and reliable transit in Guelph. Great transit will help make Guelph a great city. We need transit that is attractive for more trips, for more people. Frequency – a bus is coming soon – is a huge need. Providing frequency will get more people using transit since most people won’t choose transit with a long wait.
Imagine a gate across your street that opened every half hour. Only twice an hour could people walk, bike, or drive out. Mobility would be dramatically reduced. Shift starts at 8:30? Leave early to catch the gate. Want to pop home before running an errand? Catch the gate – both ways. Simple trips would need planning and lots of waiting. Opportunities might be closed to you: a new job; a night course; a visit to the doctor; a late movie.
This fictional experience is similar to what most Guelph Transit riders go through each day. Most routes only run every half hour, even in rush hour. It makes life frustrating for people relying on transit. It makes transit a hassle that people with a car rarely choose. Providing frequent service is key to gaining riders. Frequent service – every 15 minutes or better – is needed all day on busy base and core routes, so people can choose transit for a variety of daily trips.
While we support Guelph Transit’s proposal to add 20-minute service on more routes, Guelph Transit needs to provide increased frequency on core routes and select base routes with 15 minutes or better all-day transit so current riders will benefit, and new riders will choose transit. Busy, core routes in the Transit Quality Network Route need frequency. These routes can serve tens of thousands of residents and thousands of jobs. Great service – frequent service – would help make transit the best choice for more trips. So far, Guelph Transit isn’t proposing the frequent service Guelph needs.
- With files from IMTB
