Peterborough Transit
Encyclopedia
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The majority of their system consists of twelve regular routes within the urban area of the city. There are express routes to both Trent University
Trent University
Trent University is a liberal arts and science-oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.The enabling legislation is the Trent University Act, 1962-63. The University was founded through the efforts of a citizens' committee interested in creating a...
and Fleming College
Fleming College
Fleming College, also known as Sir Sandford Fleming College, is a College of Applied Arts and Technology in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. The College has more than 6,000 full-time and 10,000 part-time students and 58,000 alumni.-Campus:...
. An additional express route, which only operates weekday mornings and afternoons, serves the industrial area in the southeast. For those who are physically unable to use the regular transit bus there is a special Handi-Van paratransit service. Regular transit bus routes operate Monday to Friday between 6:00 am and 11:20 pm, Saturday from 6:40 am to 11:20 pm and Sunday from 8:00 am to 7:20 pm. The new mayor, Daryl Bennett, owner of Capitol Taxi, proposed changes that would result in the cancellation of Saturday service after 6:00 pm. However, on January 31, 2011. Peterborough city council voted against these transit cuts because of the overwhelming number of complaints from residents,and because of the perceived conflict of interest for the mayor.
History
Transit originally began in Peterborough as a streetcar service with the Peterborough and Ashburnham Street Railway Company, which was established in 1893 and operated until 1898. This was followed by the Peterborough Radial Railway Company, which operated from 1902 until 1927. This ended the streetcar era in Peterborough.Cooney and Joplin was briefly the only transit company in the city during 1927 after the Peterborough Radial Railway Company ceased operations. Later during 1927, Border Transit Limited started. They operated through until 1978 at which point the present day Peterborough Transit began operations and continues today.
Routes
There are twelve main routes, two Trent Express routes, a Fleming Express route and paratransitParatransit
Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
service.
Main routes
All core routes operate 7 days a week at 40 minute headways. Each of these routes terminates downtown at the intersection of Simcoe & Aylmer| Regular Routes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Terminus | Other Destinations Served |
| 1 | George North | Trent University Trent University Trent University is a liberal arts and science-oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.The enabling legislation is the Trent University Act, 1962-63. The University was founded through the efforts of a citizens' committee interested in creating a... |
Northcrest Plaza |
| 2 | Chemong | Chemong & Milroy | Northcrest Plaza |
| 3 | Highland | Portage Plaza | Brookdale Plaza |
| 4 | Jackson Park | Glenforest & Weller | Peterborough Regional Health Centre Peterborough Regional Health Centre Peterborough Regional Health Centre was established in January 1999, following a directive from the Ontario Hospital Restructuring Commission. It is a combination of the former Peterborough Civic Hospital and St. Joseph's Health Centre, previously operating from those two locations in the City of... |
| 5 | Charlotte | Lansdowne & The Parkway | Peterborough Regional Health Centre |
| 6 | SSFC/Kawartha | Sir Sandford Fleming College | |
| 7 | Lansdowne | Sir Sandford Fleming College | Lansdowne Plaza |
| 8 | Monaghan | Monaghan & Crawford | Lansdowne Plaza |
| 9 | Nicholls Park | Armour & Nassau Mills | |
| 10 | Collison | Collison & Bensfort | Market Plaza |
| 11 | Ashburnham | Willowcreek Plaza | |
| 12 | Major Bennett | Major Bennett & Jameson | Lansdowne Plaza, Market Plaza |
Trent University Express Routes
Trent UniversityTrent University
Trent University is a liberal arts and science-oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.The enabling legislation is the Trent University Act, 1962-63. The University was founded through the efforts of a citizens' committee interested in creating a...
routes connect the school with downtown and run at 20 minute headways daily during the Fall and Spring semesters, with reduced service during breaks and the Summer semester.
| Trent Express Routes | |
|---|---|
| Name | Terminus |
| Trent East Bank Express | Otanabee Residences |
| Trent West Bank Express | Bata Library |
Other express routes
The Technology Drive route operates during the weekday rush year round. The Fleming College route operates during the weekday rush only when school is in session. Both routes terminate in downtown| Express Routes | |
|---|---|
| Name | Terminus |
| Sir Sanford Fleming Express | Fleming College |
| Technology Drive | Ashburnham & Technology |
Fares
| Age group | Individual Fare | 10 Ride Card | 30 Day Pass | 1 Year Pass | Half Year Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children (Under 2) | Free | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Children (Ages 2–12) | $2.25 | $20.00 | $33.00 | n/a | n/a |
| Student Student A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English... s in secondary Secondary education Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university... school |
$2.25 | $20.00 | $50.00 | n/a | n/a |
| Adult Adult An adult is a human being or living organism that is of relatively mature age, typically associated with sexual maturity and the attainment of reproductive age.... s and post-secondary |
$2.25 | $20.00 | $55.00 | n/a | n/a |
| Seniors Old age Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle... (65 years of age and older) |
$2.25 | $20.00 | $33.00 | $200.00 | $120.00 |
Sir Sanford students must pay $200.00 for a semester pass, while Trent students have the cost paid for in their student interest fees. In addition, a new day pass has been created allowing up to two adults and four children unlimited rides for a day, this pass is $7.00.
Fleet
| Make | Model | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Bus Nova Bus Nova Bus is a Canadian bus manufacturer in North America, owned by Volvo Buses, and headquartered in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada.- History :The factory was originally a General Motors plant for building city transit buses intended for the Canadian market... |
LFS | 36 | |
| Motor Coach Industries Motor Coach Industries Motor Coach Industries International Inc. is an American bus manufacturer based in Schaumburg, Illinois, and is a leading participant in the North American coach bus industry. It has various operating subsidiaries:... |
Classics | 15 | |
| Ontario Bus Industries | Orion VI | 4 | |
| Ontario Bus Industries | Orion V | 1 | |
Criticisms
Many Peterborough Transit riders have criticized buses for being repeatedly late. Since 2005, Peterborough Transit has been slowly implementing changes to improve bus schedules. In 2006, buses began running every 40 minutes, rather than every 30 minutes, since buses would often run every 35–45 minutes anyway. This way, buses could at least meet their schedules.Peterborough Transit is also frequently criticized for not having buses run late enough. During weekdays, the last bus departs from the terminal at 10:40, even though many riders need buses until around 1:00 am. Until recently, they were also criticized for not offering Sunday service, a problem that was fixed in 2006.