Three Waterloo Region bus routes could be taken off the grid in 2014, even as new routes are put on the map.
Grand River Transit has suggested discontinuing the 18 route through Kitchener’s north end, the 32 route in north Waterloo and the 66 route in northeast Cambridge.
Unique stops along those routes would be merged into neighbouring routes.
In the meantime, a new iXpress route would launch in Cambridge, running between the Cambridge Centre mall and Sportsworld, hitting Franklin Boulevard and Conestoga College in-between.
Later in 2014, bus rapid transit would start running between the Ainslie Street bus terminal and Fairview Park Mall.
Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig says he’s happy to see the BRT service, but doesn’t think new bus routes are necessary.
“I’m not exactly getting a lot of push in terms of more routes, more money being spent on it,” he tells CTV News.
“I think what’s best right now is to leave everything the way it is and put off some of these new routes for the future.”
Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr is favour of the proposed changes, but he cautions that there will be more adjustments to come as Kitchener and Waterloo gear up for the arrival of light rail transit in 2017.
“I think it’s important that GRT does take a look at routes to make sure that they are performing to the standards that we have set,” he says.
Under GRT’s 2014 proposal, which regional councillors heard Wednesday as part of budget deliberations, 11 other routes would see some sort of service reduction.
The changes to bus routes are expected to save GRT $831,000 while losing it 51,000 riders in 2014.
“You can’t please everyone,” says Zehr.
“You can’t have a bus on every street – nor would you want to have a bus on every street.”
A number of other routes could see service reductions, with some morning, evening and weekend trips cancelled.
Regional councillors are trying to find more than $5 million in savings to bring their 2014 budget down to a 1.9 per cent tax increase.
