Changes To Peterborough Transit Will Be Effective On Sunday To Serve Increased Fall Ridership

Peterborough Transit is making seasonal adjustments to some routes starting Sunday to serve increased ridership for the fall.

Photo by Luke Best.

Changes include increased frequency during peak commute hours, the return of extended evening hours on some routes, and trip time adjustments to improve connections for riders who make transfers between routes, as well as shifts to on-demand services on Saturday evenings.

Updated routes are posted online at www.peterborough.ca/TransitRoutes or by phone at 705-745-0525.

 Saturday Evening Changes

Peterborough Transit’s on-demand service called PTBOnDemand will be expanded to operate across the entire transit system area on Saturday evenings between 8 p.m. and 11:45 p.m., using ride-share technology to provide a direct ride without the need to transfer. To increase efficiency, the on-demand service will replace traditional route service on Route 2 Chemong, Route 3 Park, Route 4 Weller, Route 7 Lansdowne, Route 8 Monaghan and Route 9 Parkhill, which will end at 8 p.m. On-demand buses will serve Trent University along the Bata (west) side of the campus.

In addition to the on-demand service, regular service will continue to operate Saturday evenings on Route 5 The Parkway and Route 6 Sherbrooke with trips operating every 30/60 minutes between Trent Bata, Peterborough Terminal, and Fleming College.

How to use PtboOnDemand

Riders can download the PTBOnDemand app and create an account or call Peterborough Transit at 705-745-5801 to book a same day trip.

When the rider requests a trip, system will look for the next trip available based on the rider’s trip pick-up and drop-off locations and number of people travelling together.

Riders who book their trip using the PTBOnDemand app are able to track the real-time location of the vehicle including information on when they will be picked up and dropped off.

Standard fares and payment options apply.

Please visit the Peterborough Transit website www.peterborough.ca/OnDemand for additional details about PTBOnDemand.

Route 2 Chemong

• Weekday 20-minute service will start one hour earlier at 11:15 a.m.

Route 3 Park

• Weekday 30-minute morning rush service returns.

• Weekday midday and afternoon rush time improves to 30-minute frequency.

• Trips will be adjusted to operate 5 minutes earlier than currently scheduled to improve reliability with connections at the terminal.

Route 5 The Parkway

• Weekday 30-minute midday service returns.

• Late evening service returns.

Route 6 Sherbrooke

• Most eastbound trips during the daytime will depart from Fleming College 5 minutes earlier through to Peterborough Terminal to improve reliability with connections at the terminal.

• Late evening service returns.

Route 7 Lansdowne

• Weekday 30-minute service returns for the morning and afternoon rush periods between Willowcreek Plaza and Trent Gzowski (Route 7A).

• Weekday westbound trips from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. will operate 5 minutes earlier from Fleming to Trent Gzowski to improve reliability.

• A new morning and afternoon Route 7B Willowcreek Plaza trips have been added to resolve overcrowding.

Route 9 Parkhill

• Weekday 30-minute service returns for the morning and afternoon rush periods.

• New short-turn extra trips between Parkhill at Hedonics and Trent Gzowski (Route 9A) have been added weekday mornings and afternoons to resolve overcrowding.

• The first morning weekday westbound trip will operate 5 minutes earlier from Trent Gzowski to Fleming to improve the transfer with Route 8 trip.

Route 10 Technology Drive

• On-demand Pink Community Bus zone will be expanded to include the Technology Drive and Neal Drive areas.

• More travel options are available with new midday, later weekday afternoon rush and new weekends options

• Weekdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Sunday and holidays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Early afternoon rush hour trips are cancelled and will be served by the on-demand service. There are no changes to weekday morning rush service.

Route 11 Water

• Weekday service returns:

• Route 11 – Peterborough Terminal will operate every 15-minutes during peak periods and every 20-minutes during midday and evenings.

• Route 11A – Traill College will operate every 20-minutes during peak periods and midday, and every 30-minutes in the evenings.

There will be no changes to the Community Bus schedules.

Customers with questions on the route schedules can contact Peterborough Transit directly by phone at 705-745-0525 or by email at transitoperations@peterborough.ca.

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New Transit Garage Approved For Former Canoe Museum Site

Peterborough City Council approved selecting 910 Monaghan Rd./575 Romaine St. as the planned future location for a new Transit Garage at Monday nights council meeting.

Before this decision was made, the city was considering two locations for the future transit garage; 910 Monaghan Rd./575 Romaine St. (the current location of the Canadian Canoe Museum, which will be relocating to a new building it is constructing on Ashburnham Drive next to Little Lake), and 420 Ashburnham Dr., which is a property already owned by the City on Ashburnham Drive south of Neal Drive.

Peterborough Transit has outgrown its outdated bus garage facility on Townsend Street. The current storage garage is only able to accommodate indoor parking for 42 conventional buses out of the current fleet of 55 buses, meaning some are left outside at night.

The current transit garage lacks modern service areas for washing, fueling, interior cleaning, cash handling, and minor repairs which results in inefficient processes and higher costs to maintain the fleet.

The bus maintenance facilities and equipment are outdated and approaching the end of their service life, as are the existing building systems for heating, plumbing, security, and lighting.

Indoor parking of transit buses is critical to preserving the life of the vehicles. With outdoor parking, especially in winter, vehicles cannot be properly washed and cleaned at the end of a shift, as the interior surfaces and advanced accessibility features (kneeling buses and accessible ramps) are subject to freezing during the winter. As well, it is difficult and potentially unsafe to undertake minor repairs to buses in poor weather conditions when parked outside. The inability to properly service and maintain buses reduces the life expectancy of the asset and increases longer term maintenance costs.

Outdoor storage also results in the need for excessive idling of buses on cold winter nights and upon start up in the morning to allow them sufficient time to properly warm up prior to being introduced into service for morning runs, increasing emissions.

Construction and site preparation costs for the new Transit Garage are eligible for reimbursement under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) - Transit Stream with the Federal Government funding a 40% share and the Provincial Government Funding a 33.3% share. As of May 2022, the City still has approximately $50.9 million out of its total allocation of $57.2 million in Federal and Provincial ICIP funding that has not yet been committed.

The City portion of project costs to support construction will be included in future capital budget requests, along with detailed recommendations on the sources of funding.

The construction of the new Transit Garage is estimated to cost between $47 million and $53,165,100 depending on the final site approved by Council.

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Peterborough Transit Makes Temporary Seasonal Changes To Route Schedules

Peterborough Transit is making a temporary seasonal adjustment to some route schedules starting Sunday to reflect reduced ridership during the summer.

Photo by Luke Best.

The adjustments mostly affect some early morning and evening service along with reduced frequency on some mid-day trips on some routes. Times for certain trips on Route 2 Chemong and Route 7 Lansdowne will be adjusted to improve connections with other service.

Route 2 Chemong

Times on Route 2 Chemong trips have been adjusted to improve connections with Route 6 Sherbrooke at the Peterborough Terminal.

• Southbound trips departing from the Terminal before noon and after 6:30 p.m. will operate two minutes later between the Terminal and Lansdowne Place.

• Southbound mid-day trips to the Terminal from Rowberry to Broadway between 12:35 p.m. and 5:55 p.m. will depart three minutes earlier.

• Northbound trips from Lansdowne Place to the Terminal will operate two minutes later.

Route 3 Park

Weekday morning service will operate on an hourly frequency.

Route 4 Weller

Weekday  service will operate on an hourly frequency:

• Westbound from the Museum to Parkhill at Chandler between 8:23 a.m. and 1:23 p.m.

• Eastbound from Parkhill at Chandler to the Museum between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m

Route 5 The Parkway

Weekday service will operate on hourly frequency:

• Southbound from the Terminal to Fleming College between 8:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.

• Northbound from Fleming College to the Terminal between 9:10 a.m. and 2:10 p.m.

Route 7 Lansdowne

Weekday morning and evening service will operate on an hourly frequency between Willowcreek Plaza and Trent University at Gzowski College. Service along Lansdowne Street between Fleming College and Willowcreek Plaza will continue on a 30-minute frequency.

The weekday trip from Trent Gzowski at 5:05 p.m. will operate up to five minutes earlier through some intermediate locations to Fleming College.

The weekday trip from Willowcreek Plaza to Fleming College at 5:40 p.m. will depart five minutes earlier at 5:35 p.m.

Route 9 Parkhill

Weekday morning and evening service will operate on an hourly frequency.

Route schedules will be updated in September when ridership is expected to increase.

There will be no changes to the Community Bus schedules. On-demand service continues to be available throughout the summer.

Customers with questions on the route schedules can contact Peterborough Transit directly by phone at 705-745-0525 or by email at transitoperations@peterborough.ca.

Service Updates

Customers are encouraged to check their schedules and stay up-to-date with adjustments to Transit routes, including weather delays, service interruptions and cancellations:

• Follow Peterborough Transit on Twitter: @ptbo_transit

• Subscribe to text/SMS or email updates through MyBEAT

• Visit the service alerts webpage for real-time Twitter Timeline updates on peterborough.ca/TransitServiceAlerts

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Peterborough Transit Adjusting Some Routes As Of May 1

Peterborough Transit will adjust some routes effective May 1.

Photo by Luke Best.

Details are available online at www.peterborough.ca/TransitRoutes or by calling Peterborough Transit customer service at 705-745-0525.

Weller Route 4

Eastbound Weller Route 4 trips will no longer operate on Weller Street between Medical Drive and Monaghan Road. After serving Peterborough Regional Health Centre and exiting at Alexander Crescent, eastbound Route 4 trips will turn north on Medical Drive to Hospital Drive, east at Hospital Drive to Charlotte Street, east at Charlotte Street to Monaghan Road, and north on Monaghan Road to resume the regular route.

New bus stops have been added

• eastbound on Hospital Drive east of Victory Crescent

• northbound on Monaghan Road south of Gilmour Street

• northbound on Monaghan Road south of Weller Street

The eastbound bus stop on Weller Street before Albertus Avenue will be removed from service.

Lansdowne Route 7

The Lansdowne Route 7 route will adjust due to the seasonal opening of the Maria Street Swing Bridge for boaters. The route the between Trent University and Fleming College will follow the Route 7A path via Hunter Street, the Lift Lock tunnel, and Ashburnham Drive. Route 7 service along Rogers Street and Maria Street between at Hunter Street and Ashburnham Drive will be suspended until November.

Weekday eastbound trips departing from Fleming College from 6:55 a.m. to 8:55 a.m. will depart and operate later 5 minutes later through all locations.

Water Route 11

Trent University express Route 11 trips serving Peterborough Terminal and Route 11A trips serving Traill College will be suspended for the summer.

Late-night Service

Late-night service will be suspended for the summer on the Parkway Route 5 and Sherbrooke Route 6.

• On weekdays and Saturdays, all trips departing after 11:30 p.m. will be suspended.

• On Sundays and holidays. all trips departing after 7:30 p.m. will be suspended.

The last northbound Route 6 trip each night will operate 3 mins later from the terminal to allow for a connection from the last northbound route 5 trip.

Pink Community Bus

The free trial period on the Pink Community bus will end on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Beginning on Sunday, May 1 regular Peterborough Transit fares will apply for the on-demand service. Details on the pilot ride-share transit service called PTBOnDemand is online at https://www.peterborough.ca/en/city-services/on-demand-services.aspx or by calling the Peterborough Transit reservation line at 705-745-5801.

 

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Peterborough Transit Launches New Pilot Program On-Demand Transit Service

Peterborough Transit has introduced a new, on-demand transit service called PTBOnDemand as part of a pilot program located in the City’s east, southeast and downtown areas.

Photo by Luke Best.

On-demand transit is a ride-share service that allows transit vehicles to adjust routes and times depending on the requests received from customers each day. It is an intuitive, flexible and customer-friendly service.

On-demand trips will carry customers from the nearest bus stops available to service their pick-up and drop-off requests, regardless of the route taken. The on-demand service will use existing bus stops, plus some additional roads and stops in the operating area to make it more convenient.

Customers can download and use the new PTBOnDemand app on their smartphone or access the service by calling 705-745-5801 to book trips. Riders using the app will be able to track the real-time location of their vehicle and receive updates on when they will be picked up and dropped off.

During the pilot, Peterborough Transit will introduce the new Pink Community Bus serving the following areas:

Downtown

• East of Aylmer Street between Simcoe Street and Lansdowne Street.

• North of Lansdowne Street between Aylmer Street and River Road.

East City

• South of Hunter Street between Burnham Street and Ashburnham Drive.

Beavermead/Ashburnham

• Ashburnham Drive between Hunter Street and Otonabee Drive, including the Walker Avenue community to the east.

• Willowcreek Plaza community along Lansdowne Street.

Southeast - Otonabee

• Otonabee community including Collison Avenue and Middlefield Road areas.

The Pink Community Bus will operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.

Trips on the Pink Community Bus will be free from March 30 until April 30. Regular fares still apply to ride on all other transit routes. Starting May 1, 2022 regular fares will apply to ride on the Pink Community Bus and transfers to other routes will be available and accepted.

For additional information about PTBOnDemand or the Pink Community Bus visit the Transit On-Demand webpage or call 705-745-0525.

Regular Peterborough Transit routes and Accessible Van Service will continue to operate as usual.

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Ontario Provides Additional Funding For Public Transit to Peterborough and County

The Ontario Government is providing $1,913,675 to the City of Peterborough and $41,648 to the County of Peterborough to support the expansion and improvement of public transit services announced Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of City of Peterborough.

The funding is part of the province’s Gas Tax program which will allocate $375.6 million this year to 107 municipalities that deliver public transit.

“Affordable and reliable public transit in our community is important for seniors, people with disabilities and workers. This funding will support the city and county of Peterborough’s transit systems by ensuring investments in maintenance and fleet expansion can continue,” said MPP Dave Smith.

Funding for the Gas Tax program is determined by the number of litres of gasoline sold in the province during the previous year. Municipalities that support public transit services in their community receive two cents per litre of provincial Gas Tax revenue which can be used to extend service hours, buy transit vehicles, add routes, improve accessibility or upgrade infrastructure.

To make up for reduced gas sales due to COVID-19, this year’s Gas Tax funding includes one-time additional funding of $120.4 million to ensure municipalities can support their transit systems.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen how critical public transit is for frontline workers and for Ontarians who depend on these services to get to medical appointments, the grocery store and other important locations,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “Gas Tax funding remains a vital source of long-term transit funding that municipalities can rely on to help operate and expand existing public transit services – ensuring people have access to safe and reliable transportation when they need it.”

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Kids Under 12 to Ride Free Under Peterborough Transit's Pilot Program

Peterborough Transit will offer free transit for kids aged 12 and under as part of their Pilot Program starting on Jan. 2 announced on Friday.

Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Transit.

The pilot program will run through 2022. Eligible children will not require a transit pass to ride the bus and will not be required to provide proof of age.

“This program can have significant long-term benefits by creating more lifetime transit riders,” said Councillor Kemi Akapo. “Children will not only learn to navigate the city and see public transit as their chosen travel option, they will also appreciate and contribute to the benefit of public transit in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

Free transit for eligible children will include all City of Peterborough regular transit routes and registered users of specialized van service.

The Link bus service operating between the City of Peterborough and Selwyn Township is not included in the pilot program. Customers accessing that service will be required to show proof of applicable Link fare.

When boarding, the child or the adult they are travelling with must let the bus driver know that they are 12 years old or under. Free child passes are available upon request. Contact Customer Service at 705-745-0525 for more information.

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Temporary Changes to Late Service on Some Peterborough Transit Routes During Armour Road Construction

The City of Peterborough announced on Tuesday that overnight road work at the intersection of Parkhill Road East and Armour Road will affect some Peterborough Transit routes from Wednesday to Friday.

File Photo.

Routes 6C, 7A, and 9 will be on detour after 9 p.m. between Parkhill and Trent University.

The Armour Road bus stops at Parkhill Road, at Dunlop Street, and Vinette Steet will be temporarily out of service. Customers should proceed to the corner of Armour Road at Spencleys Lane for service.

Route 6C and Route 9 trips will not be able to access Armour Road. These trips will continue to serve Trent University at Gzowski.

Route 6C Sherbrooke

Late night Route 6C Sherbrooke trips will not be able to access Armour Road. Eastbound Route 6C trips will travel on Water Street from McDonnel Street to Nassau Mills Road, turn right and travel over the bridge to resume the regular route to the Gzowski loop bus stop before heading back to Trent at Bata.

For Route 6C trips, a shuttle will be available from the transit stop on Water Street opposite Tim Horton’s south of Nassau Mills Road for customers to access Armour Road.

Route 7A Lansdowne

Eastbound Route 7A Lansdowne trips will travel north on Armour Road to Swanston Avenue, turn right to Snelgrove Road, turn left to Parkhill Road, turn right to Leahy’s Lane, turn left to Spencelys Lane, turn left to Armour Road and then turn right to resume the regular route. Westbound trips will follow the same routing in the reverse direction.

Route 9 Parkhill

Route 9 Parkhill trips will not be able to access Armour Road. Eastbound trips will travel east on Parkhill Road to Water Street to Nassau Mills Road, then turn right and head over the bridge to resume the regular route to the Gzowski loop bus stop.

Westbound trips will leave Trent at Gzowski following the normal route out to Armour Road and continue over the bridge at Nassau Mills Road to travel south on Water Street. Continuing south on George Street, trips will proceed through the Parkhill Road intersection and then turn left at Antrim Street to Water Street, turn left to Parkhill Road, and then turn left to resume service at the westbound bus stop on Parkhill Road before George Street.

Customers with questions about these changes can contact Peterborough Transit directly by phone at 705-745-0525 or by email at transitoperations@peterborough.ca.

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Changes for Peterborough Transit Routes Taking Effect in September

Peterborough Transit is making adjustments to some route schedules to reflect a return to more regular ridership and traffic conditions announced Friday.

Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Transit.

The changes will take effect starting Sept. 5.

Schedules and maps with the adjustments are posted at peterborough.ca/transit. Customers are encouraged to check timetables. The Google Maps trip planner is also available.

Most regular routes will operate on at least a 30-minute frequency on weekdays. Late-night service on routes 5 and 6 resume. A new route, Route 11 – Water, has been included to provide direct service between the downtown terminal and Trent University.

New Route: Route 11 – Water

This is a frequent weekday-only service with two variants, primarily operating on Water and George Streets. Both routes will serve all designated bus stops on route.

Route 11 will provide direct service between Trent University and the Peterborough Terminal.

Route 11A will provide direct service between Trent University and Traill College.

Route 2 – Chemong

This route has been changed and will no longer operate across the top of the city to Trent University. This route will focus on the shopping corridor and now terminate in the new Broadway Boulevard subdivision in the north end. Please refer to Route 6 for service on Hilliard St and Cumberland Avenue.

This service has been improved to operate at a 20-minute frequency from 12:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., seven days a week. It will continue to operate at a 30-minute frequency at other times of the day.

Route 4 – Weller

This route is adjusted in the west end to extend service to the Chandler Crescent area replacing the Trans-Cab connection. From Weller Street, the adjusted route will operate in a counter-clockwise direction using Fair Avenue, Ravenwood Drive, Parkhill Road, Brealey Drive, Glenforest Boulevard and Fair Avenue and back to Weller Street. These trips will no longer operate on Ireland Drive Some bus stop locations will change on Fair Avenue and Glenforest Boulevard to the other side of the road.

Route 5 – The Parkway

Route 5 The Parkway will resume 30-minute frequency on midday trips.

Late night Route 5A service resumes.

Route 6 – Sherbrooke

This route is adjusted in the north end, with trips operating on Hilliard Street and Cumberland Avenue to replace the Route 2 Chemong change. These trips will continue to serve Trent University. These trips will no longer operate on Marina Boulevard.

Late night route 6 and 6C service resumes.

Route 7 – Lansdowne

Southbound trips will operate approximately five minutes earlier to improve reliability at key transfer locations. Some early morning eastbound trips were also adjusted to operate five minutes earlier.

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