London Transit

This article is about public transportation in London, Ontario, Canada. For public transportation in London, England, see Transport for London.
London Transit
Slogan Wherever Life Takes You
Founded 1951 (from London Street Railway)
Headquarters 450 Highbury Avenue N
Service area London, Ontario
Service type Public Transit
Routes 39 regular routes[1]
3 community buses
Fleet 195 buses
Annual ridership 24.1 million (2014) [2]
Operator City of London
Website www.ltconline.ca
A retired GM Classic bus in the old colour scheme

The London Transit Commission (LTC) is responsible for the operation of the public transit system on behalf of the City of London, Ontario, Canada. It offers the typical conventional bus service, and a para-transit service, for those unable to use the conventional service. In 2014, annual ridership totaled 24.1 million.[2] The LTC has 39 regular bus routes, 3 express routes, and 3 community bus routes.[1]

History

London Street Railway Company (LSR) a privately operated transit service, brought public transit to the city with the start of horse-drawn streetcar operations May 24, 1875, with electric power being introduced in 1895.[3] In later years, the city operated some routes, but in 1951 assumed control over all routes and formed the London Transportation Commission to operate them. [3][4] Until 1940, streetcars provided the bulk of the service. Streetcar system was converted to buses in late November 1940 (planned for the end of 1940, but forced by a blizzard that damaged trolley wires). In 1974, the LTC adopted its present name, and greatly expanded its service area to cover the newly annexed area in Middlesex County.[3] The system has evolved to feature community bus routes, para-transit services and accessible low floor buses with the rapid transit lines as the backbone. In 2003, the LTC opened bus terminals in Argyle Mall and Masonville malls.

Active fleet

As of 2010, the LTC has 191 transit buses in its fleet. Until recently, London Transit had one of the oldest transit fleets in Ontario, with many buses older than 25 years old. However, with new buses being purchased within the last decade, this has changed. All older model high-floor buses were phased out in 2012, making the LTC fully operated with low-floor accessible buses.

During peak service periods on weekdays there are over 154 buses on the road. Sunday service reduces that number to fewer than 50.

Model & year Fleet # Length (in feet) Engine/transmission
2014 New Flyer "Articulated Low Floor" model XD60 30-31 60 Cummins ISL9 diesel engine/ Allison B500R
2013 New Flyer "Articulated Low Floor" model XD60 28-29 60 Cummins ISL9 diesel engine/ Allison B500R
2012 New Flyer "Articulated Low Floor" model D60LFR 24-27 60 Cummins ISL9 diesel engine/ Allison B500R
2014 New Flyer Xcelsior "Low Floor" model XD40 333-345 40 Cummins ISL9 diesel engine/ Allison B400R
2013 New Flyer Xcelsior "Low Floor" model XD40 321-332 40 Cummins ISL9 diesel engine/ Allison B400R
2012 New Flyer Xcelsior "Low Floor" model XD40 312-320 40 Cummins ISL9 diesel engine/ Allison B400R
2012 New Flyer Xcelsior "Low Floor" hybrid model XDE40 177-178 40 Cummins ISL9 diesel engine/ Allison EP40

hybrid system

2011 New Flyer Xcelsior "Low Floor" model XD40 301-311 40 Cummins ISL9 diesel engine/ Allison B400R
2011 New Flyer Xcelsior "Low Floor" hybrid model XDE40 175-176 40 Cummins ISL9 diesel engine/ Allison EP40

hybrid system

2010 New Flyer "Low Floor" hybrid model DE40LF 171-174 40 Cummins ISL diesel engine/ Allison EP40

hybrid system

2010 New Flyer "Low Floor" model D40LF 161-170 40 Cummins ISL diesel engine/ Allison B400R
2009 New Flyer "Low Floor" model D40LF 146-160 40 Cummins ISL diesel engine/ Allison B400R
2009 ElDorado National EZ Rider II MAX 15-18 29 Cummins ISL diesel engine/ Allison B400R
2008 New Flyer "Articulated Low Floor" model D60LF 21-23 60 Cummins ISL diesel engine/ Allison B500R
2008 New Flyer "Low Floor" model D40LF 133-145 40 Cummins ISL diesel engine/ Allison B400R
2007 New Flyer "Low Floor" model D40LF 119-132 40 Cummins ISL diesel engine/ Allison B400R
2006 New Flyer "Low Floor" model D40LF 101-114 40 Cummins ISL diesel engine/ Allison B400R
2005-06 New Flyer "Low Floor" model D40LF 465-487 40 Cummins ISL diesel engine/ Allison World B400R
2004 New Flyer "Low Floor" model D40LF 450-464 40 Cummins ISL diesel engine/ Allison World B400R
2003 New Flyer "Articulated Low Floor" model D60LF 601-603 60 Cummins ISL diesel engine/ Allison World B500R
2002-03 New Flyer "Invero - Low Floor" model D40i 401-449 40 Cummins ISL/Allison B400R

(originally equipped with Detroit Diesel Series 50, re-powered in 2008)

Ridership

After the public transit boom of the 1960s and 1970s, ridership began to slip. At that time almost every transit route was passing through London's downtown area. An attempted building of two downtown malls and the economic recession of the 1990s combined to force the downtown area into serious decline. An economic slump echoed in a parallel drop in ridership, made even worse by the traditional responses of service cuts and fare increases. Between 1987 and 1996, LTC ridership declined by almost 40 percent.

In 1994, the LTC began developing a comprehensive business plan to turn these trends around. Innovations included an overhauling of fare structure, re-thinking routes, bringing buses into mall areas (which would later become true terminal areas), and making standard public transit buses increasingly wheelchair-accessible. Post-secondary students attending the University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College now receive a subsidised bus pass incorporated into their tuition: a program which has become a great success.

Due in large part to these measures, the LTC is currently experiencing a massive increase in ridership, straining current transit resources.

Plans

With the recent announcement of federal[5] and provincial[6] gas tax money for municipalities, the LTC has decided to spend funds on improving service, creating bus depots at major shopping centres, and purchasing new low-floor accessible buses.

All LTC buses are equipped with GPS technology which automates stop announcements.[7] There is also a proposal to allow LTC buses to lengthen the timing of traffic signals at key intersections to improve service.[8]

In 2009, new digital message signs were placed at strategic transit stops to tell passengers when the bus is expected to arrive. The LTC website also allows customers to check when a particular bus will arrive in real-time.

Also in 2009, London Transit began equipping some buses with bicycle racks. This allows for cyclists to ride the bus while transporting their bike as well. The program was initially being tested on four routes, and was later expanded in 2011 to include the entire fleet.

In 2011, a second transit garage opened in the west end of the city to improve efficiency and create room for a larger transit fleet. Currently, the Wonderland Road Garage houses approximately 40 buses, with expansion room to store 60 more.

Within the next decade, London Transit may have express bus routes on high volume corridors. There has been talk from LTC that the express routes would run along Wellington/Richmond, Commissioners Road, Highbury, Oxford, Wonderland, and Dundas to aid current bus routes along these roads. This would implement the Express-Local system in London for bus routes. This system uses express buses to take people from one place to another of a greater distance by skipping stations at less popular areas (Example- A bus that starts at White Oaks Mall and stops at Wellington-Commissioners). The local buses would run on the same route, however they would stop at each and every station.

The City and LTC have begun to plan for the future Transportation Master Plan. The research program will be called "Smart Moves: What Moves You?" and will take transportation goals in London to 2030. For LTC, the study will examine rapid transit corridors while considering Bus Rapid Transit and other Rapid Transit options.

AM 980 reported that the city's planning staff had put forward a plan to introduce rapid transit.[9] [10] [11] [12] The plan would cost $1.2 billion, and would include both a bus rapid transit and a light rail components.

2009 transit strike

On November 16, 2009, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 741 representing bus drivers and support workers went on strike, the first transit strike for London Transit since 1980. The strike affected all public routes, however specialized transit services for the disabled continued to operate.

To lessen the inconvenience on university students, the University of Western Ontario (UWO) increased its shuttle bus service. As well, the University Student's Council (USC) secured rental vans driven by volunteers looping around the city picking up students at key areas and dropping them off at the university. A community-based approach was taken by the USC including a flag-a-ride program and a shuttle service for groceries.[13] David Empey president of the UWO staff association was against this volunteer service helping students calling it "scab labor" and said it was irresponsible to set up a system which replaced the job of striking workers. Despite this information pickets were set up at the University encouraging students to help their cause. "The strike is really inconveniencing people who are paid even less than the drivers," said a third-year Western student."This shuttle is a good idea. I had hoped they'd put something like this together. We still have to pay for our transit pass" even if there's a strike.[14]

On December 7, 2009, ATU turned down the LTC's "Final Offer" of 9.3% wage hike over three years. This offer was rejected by 78.5% (322 of 410) of the ATU membership.[15]

The strike ended on December 14, 2009.[16]

Fares

Effective December 1, 2008 the new fare is as follows:[17]

Age group Individual Fare 5 Tickets
Children (5 yrs to Grade 6) $1.35 $5.50
Students (Grade 7 to Grade 12) $2.75 $7.70
Adults $2.75 $9.50
Seniors (65 years of age and older) $2.75 $7.15

There are also a number of passes available:

Routes

London Transit announced that the following service will be available starting September 4, 2016. With this service comes a change to the buses' destination signs. Routes are still numbered but will no longer be named; the destination sign will now display route number, destination, and routing.

Regular Routes

Buses serving these routes stop at blue bus-stop signs.

Route Terminus Terminus Service Other Major Destinations Former Name Notes
1A N Kipps Lane S Pond Mills Road Daily Glen Cairn Plaza, Downtown, St. Joseph's Hospital 1A Kipps Lane / Thompson Road Buses end southbound trips at Commissioners Road and Deveron Crescent, and return northbound via King Edward Street as route 1B.
1B N Kipps Lane S King Edward Street Daily Glen Cairn Plaza, Downtown, St. Joseph's Hospital 1B Kipps Lane / Thompson Road Buses end southbound trips at Commissioners Road and Deveron Crescent, and return northbound via Pond Mills Road as route 1A.
2A W Natural Sciences (UWO) E Trafalgar Heights Daily Downtown, Banting Museum 2A Dundas Effective September 4, 2016, buses will no longer serve Masonville Place or Argyle Mall.
2B W Natural Sciences (UWO) E Bonaventure Daily Downtown, Banting Museum, Argyle Mall. 2B Dundas Effective September 4, 2016, buses will no longer serve Masonville Place.
3A W Downtown E Fairmont or Argyle Mall Daily Fairmont Plaza 3 Hamilton Road Buses end eastbound trip at River Run Terrace and return via Tweedsmuir during daytime service Monday to Friday. Buses end eastbound trip at Argyle Mall during evening and weekend service.
3B W Downtown E Argyle Mall Daily Fairmont Plaza (new route)
4A N Fanshawe College S White Oaks Mall Daily Downtown, Royal Canadian Regiment Museum, Oxbury Mall 4A Oxford East Buses travel counter-clockwise (Ernest Avenue, then Jalna Boulevard East). Effective September 4, 2016, route 26 buses will serve the Cleardale neighbourhood instead of routes 4 and 4A.
4B N Fanshawe College S White Oaks Mall Daily Downtown, Royal Canadian Regiment Museum, Oxbury Mall 4B Oxford East Buses travel clockwise (Ernest Avenue, then Jalna Boulevard East). Effective September 4, 2016, route 26 buses will serve the Cleardale neighbourhood instead of route 4.
5 W Byron E Downtown Daily Springbank Park 5 Springbank Service on Griffith Street east of Boler Road during Monday to Friday daytime service only. Service via Gardenwood Drive from Monday to Saturday during evening service only; on Sundays, all trips service Gardenwood Drive.
6 N Natural Sciences (UWO) S Parkwood Hospital Daily St. Joseph's Hospital, Downtown, Victoria Hospital 6 Richmond Buses arriving at Natural Sciences Centre continue as route 9C to Whitehills.
7 W Downtown E Argyle Mall Daily 7 Wavell Effective September 4, 2016, buses will serve Florence Street.
8 W Riverbend E Downtown Monday to Friday peak periods only 8 Riverside Service ends September 2, 2016. See route 17B for replacement service to Riverbend.
9A N Whitehills S Downtown Daily, but daytime service only Sherwood Forest Square 9A Whitehills Buses operate counter-clockwise: Limberlost, then Blackacres, then Aldersbrook.
9B N Whitehills S Downtown Daily, but daytime service only Sherwood Forest Square 9B Whitehills Buses operate clockwise: Aldersbrook, then Blackacres, then Limberlost.
9C W Whitehills E Natural Sciences (UWO) Daily, but evening service only Sherwood Forest Square 9C Whitehills Buses operate counter-clockwise: Limberlost, then Blackacres, then Aldersbrook. Buses arriving at Natural Sciences depart as route 6 to Parkwood Hospital.
10 N Natural Sciences (UWO)
or
Masonville Place 		S White Oaks Mall Daily Westmount Mall 10 Wonderland Buses serve Masonville Place Monday to Friday during afternoons and early evening only. Buses serve Masonville Place Saturday and Sunday during daytime service only. Buses serve Teeple Terrace on Monday to Saturday during evening service only. Buses serve Teeple Terrace on all trips on Sunday.
11 W Westmount Mall E Downtown Daily 11 Southcrest
12 S Lambeth
or
Wharncliffe at Wonderland 		N Downtown Daily Wonderland Power Centre, Children’s Museum 12 Wharncliffe South Buses serve Lambeth Monday to Friday only, and only during peak periods. Other service to Lambeth via route 28.
13 N Northridge
or
Grenfell 		S White Oaks Mall Daily Downtown, St. Joseph's Hospital, University Hospital, Masonville Place 13 Wellington Road The bus on the last northbound trip past Masonville Place serves the Northridge loop and then serves the Grenfell loop.
13A N Northridge
or
Grenfell 		S White Oaks Mall Daily Downtown, St. Joseph's Hospital, University Hospital, Masonville Place 13A Wellington Road The bus on the last northbound trip past Masonville Place serves the Northridge loop and then serves the Grenfell loop.
14 N Barker at Huron S White Oaks Mall Daily Westminster Plaza, Northland Mall, Oxbury Mall, Pond Mills Square 14 Highbury
15 W Westmount Mall
or
Dalhousie 		E Downtown Daily Wortley Village 15 Westmount Service to Dalhousie on Monday to Saturday during evening service only. Service to Dalhousie on all trips Sunday.
16A N Masonville Place mall S Pond Mills Daily Pond Mills Square, Banting Museum, Victoria Hospital 16A Adelaide Service to Victoria Hospital Monday to Saturday during daytime trips only. No service to Victoria Hospital on Sunday. The last trip southbound serves both Pond Mills and Summerside.
16B N Masonville Place mall S Summerside Daily Pond Mills Square, Banting Museum, Victoria Hospital 16B Adelaide Service to Victoria Hospital Monday to Saturday during daytime trips only. No service to Victoria Hospital on Sunday. The last trip southbound serves both Pond Mills and Summerside.
17A W Byron E Argyle Mall Daily Fanshawe College, Cherryhill Village Mall, Oakridge Superstore Plaza 17 Oxford West
17B W Riverbend E Argyle Mall Monday to Friday daytime only Fanshawe College, Cherryhill Village Mall, Oakridge Superstore Plaza (new route) Replaces route 8 effective September 6, 2016.
19 N Hyde Park Power Centre S Downtown Daily Oakridge Superstore Plaza 19 Oakridge
20 W Beaverbrook
or
Capulet 		E Fanshawe College Daily Cherryhill Village Mall 20 Cherryhill Service to Beaverbrook Monday to Friday daytime service only. Service to Capulet Lane only at all other service hours.
21 W Downtown E Huron Heights Daily Northland Mall 21 Huron Heights Huron Heights service is counter-clockwise: Beckworth, then Chippewa
22 W Downtown E Argyle Mall Monday to Saturday only Western Fair Sports Centre 22 Trafalgar Service ends September 3, 2016.
23 W Westmount Mall E Downtown Monday to Saturday only. Daytime service only. 23 Berkshire
24 W Talbot Village E Victoria Hospital Monday to Saturday only. Daytime service only. Westmount Mall 24 Base Line
25 N Fanshawe Park Road and Highbury Avenue S Fanshawe College Monday to Friday only. Daytime service only. Northland Mall 25 Kilally
26 N Downtown S White Oaks Mall Daily 26 Jalna Boulevard West Buses travel clockwise on Jalna Boulevard
27 W Kipps Lane E Fanshawe College Monday to Friday only. Daytime service only. Northland Mall 27 Fanshawe College Buses travel clockwise: Huron, then Adelaide, then Kipps Lane, then Briarhill.
28 N Westmount Mall S Lambeth See notes. Wonderland Power Centre 28 Lambeth Monday to Friday, daytime service only. No peak-period service.
30 W White Oaks Mall E Cheese Factory Road Monday to Friday peak periods only 30 Newbold Operates in two loops, both clockwise.
31 W Hyde Park Power Centre E Alumni Hall (UWO) Daily 31 Orchard Park
32 W Alumni Hall (UWO) E Huron Street and Highbury Avenue Daily 32 Windermere
33 W Proudfoot E Alumni Hall (UWO) Monday to Friday only Cherryhill Village Mall 33 Proudfoot Forest Hill served eastbound during morning service, and westbound during afternoon service.
34 N Masonville Place Mall S Alumni Hall (UWO) Monday to Friday only 34 Medway
35 N Argyle Mall S Trafalgar Heights Daily 35 Argyle
36 W Fanshawe College E London Airport Monday to Friday only 36 Airport / Industrial Daytime and late-evening service only.
37 N Argyle Mall S Neptune Crescent Monday to Friday peak-period only 37 Sovereign Road
38 W Masonville Place mall E Stoney Creek Daily 38 Stoney Creek
39 W Hyde Park Power Centre E Masonville Place mall Daily 39 Fanshawe West

Express Routes

These routes are limited-stop service. Buses serving these routes stop only at orange bus-stop signs.

Route Terminus Terminus Service Other Major Destinations Former Name Notes
90 N Express to Masonville Place mall S Express to White Oaks Mall Monday to Friday daytime only St. Joseph's Hospital, Downtown, Victoria Hospital 90 Express Via Richmond Street and Wellington Road.
91 W Express to Oxford Street and Wonderland Road E Express to Fanshawe College Monday to Friday daytime only Cherryhill Village Mall, Oxbury Mall 91 Express Via Oxford Street.
92 N Express to Masonville Place mall S Express to Victoria Hospital Monday to Friday daytime only 92 Express Via Adelaide Street.

Community Routes

The following regularly scheduled limited service routes operate to provide special access to seniors and individuals with impaired mobility to major shopping destinations. They are not designed as an alternative to the paratransit service.

Route Terminus Terminus Service Other Major Destinations
51 W Oakridge Superstore Plaza E Cherryhill Village Mall Tuesday and Thursday, midday service only Cherryhill Circle, Forest Hill
53 W Westmount Mall E Cherryhill Village Mall Monday, midday service only Cherryhill Circle, Forest Hill
54 N Masonville Place mall S Cherryhill Village Mall Friday, midday service only Cherryhill Circle, Forest Hill
55 N Hyde Park Power Centre S Cherryhill Village Mall Wednesday, midday service only Cherryhill Circle, Forest Hill

Additional service to University and to Fanshawe College

The following routes are in service Monday to Friday only, from September to April only, and only when the University of Western Ontario has scheduled orientation, classes, or exams.

Route Terminus Terminus Service Other Major Destinations Former Name Notes
29 W Capulet Lane E Natural Sciences (UWO) University days only 29 Capulet Reduced service during exams.
102 N Natural Sciences (UWO) S Downtown University days only 2C Dundas Buses serve routes 102 and 106 as a single, bidirectional loop. Buses on counter-clockwise service are designated "106 Natural Sciences" when serving the Richmond Street portion of the loop, and "102 Downtown" when serving the Western Road portion. Buses on clockwise service are signed "102 Natural Sciences" and "106 Downtown". Clockwise service is new for the 2016-2017 school year.
106 N Natural Sciences (UWO) S Downtown University days only St. Joseph's Hospital 6A Richmond

The following route is in service from Monday to Friday only, from September to April only, and only when Fanshawe College has scheduled classes or exams.

Route Terminus Terminus Service Other Major Destinations
104 N Fanshawe College S Ridout Street at Grand Avenue Fanshawe College days only Downtown

References

  1. 1 2 London Transit - Routes and Schedules
  2. 1 2 "Annual Report 2014" (PDF). London Transit Commission. April 27, 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "130 Years - Past and Present 1875 - 2005" (PDF). London Transit. Retrieved April 2016. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  4. ↑ Wyatt, David. "Transit History of London, Ontario". All-Time List of Canadian Transit Systems. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  5. ↑ Finance Canada
  6. ↑ Ontario government
  7. ↑ "Smart Bus Technology" (PDF). London Transit Commission. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "Transit Priority Strategy For Bus Rapid Transit Implementation" (PDF). City of London Transportation 2030 Master Plan. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Ltd. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  9. ↑ Patrick Maloney (2015-05-22). "City hall recommending pair of corridors to serve as spines of London's proposed rapid-transit system". London Free Press. Retrieved 2015-11-05. In a city with about 40 transit routes, the future may be built around two main corridors.
  10. ↑ "New city report says it would cost $850 million to build a light rail transit system in London". London Free Press. 2015-11-04. Retrieved 2015-11-05. The report spells out four options for rapid transit, the cheapest of which, using just buses, would cost roughly $260 million. The third-costliest, the bus-light rail hybrid that staff is proposing, is at least $850 million.
  11. ↑ "New city report outlines 'hybrid' rapid transit plan for London". CTV News. 2015-11-04. Retrieved 2015-11-05. The Shift Rapid Transit Update lays out what could be the largest infrastructure project in London's history. Currently, London is the largest city in Canada without rapid transit in place.
  12. ↑ "City of London Unveils Proposed Transit Overhaul, Nearly $1-Billion Cost". AM 980. 2015-11-04. Retrieved 2015-11-05. A report going before the city’s Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee on Monday outlines four alternatives for rapid transit in London, but suggests a hybrid network — combining bus and light rail vehicles — as the preferred option.
  13. ↑ http://www.mustangsmovingmustangs.com
  14. ↑ Dubinski, Kate (2009-11-18). "UWO shuttle bus service rapped". London Free Press.
  15. ↑ http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2009/12/07/12069726.html
  16. ↑ Maloney, Patrick (2009-12-15). "Bus strike's over". London Free Press.
  17. ↑ Fare Program and Policy
Wikimedia Commons has media related to London Transit Commission.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.