Niagara Region Transit

Last updated
Niagara Region Transit
NiagaraRegionTransit letters.png
ParentRegional Municipality of Niagara
Founded12 September 2011
Headquarters2012 First Street Louth,
St. Catharines, ON, Canada
Locale Niagara Region
Service area Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, Port Colborne, St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland
Service type Bus service, paratransit
Alliance Niagara Falls Transit
St. Catharines Transit
Welland Transit
Fort Erie Transit
Routesapproximately 8
Hubs Welland Transit Terminal
St. Catharines Transit Terminal
Niagara Falls Transit Morrison-Dorchester Hub
Brock University
Niagara College Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake campuses
Fleet15 buses, ranging from 40-60 feet in length
Fuel typeDiesel, HEV
Operator Niagara Region
Website Niagara Region Transit

Niagara Region Transit is a regional public transit system operating in the Niagara Region of Ontario. Initial service commenced on September 12, 2011, and consisted of inter-municipal routes. In January 2023, Niagara Region Transit assumed the operations of Welland Transit, Fort Erie Transit, St. Catharines Transit, and Niagara Falls Transit to form a single unified local transit service for the entire Niagara Region. [1] Local fares are $3 for an adult customer. [2]

Contents

Service commenced the morning of September 12, 2011, and costs $6 per intercity trip, including transfer between two local municipal transit services. The service cost $5 for the first six months. [3] [4]

A regional paratransit service, Niagara Specialized Transit, has been in operation since November 2006 and operated by Canadian Red Cross. In August 2020, a two-year pilot was launched to provide on-demand service for Grimsby, Lincoln, Pelham, Wainfleet and West Lincoln. [5]

In 2024, a rebranding to Niagara Transit was approved by the transit commission board. [6]

History

Prior to the creation of Niagara Region Transit, inter-municipal transit in the Niagara Region was provided exclusively by local transit agencies which provided inconsistent services between local municipalities such as Welland Transit which operated a "link" route between Welland and Thorold or Niagara Falls Transit which operated a similar route between Fort Erie and Niagara Falls. On September 12, 2011, Niagara Region Transit began operating a network of 3 routes providing service between Welland, St. Catharines, and Niagara Falls as a temporary pilot project. This plan also included additional funding for existing link services between Niagara Falls and Fort Erie in addition to Welland and Port Colborne. [4]

In March 2017, Niagara's Transportation Master Plan identified a lack of integrated regional transit as being one of the main obstacles preventing regular GO Train service to St. Catharines and Niagara Falls. [7] The master plan proposed merging the services and operations of the region's three largest transit agencies into those of Niagara Region Transit. In December 2021, the plan was approved by the required triple majority as it was supported by a majority of Niagara's municipalities representing a majority of the regional population. [7]

On January 1, 2023, Niagara Region Transit assumed the operations of Niagara Falls Transit and started providing local service to Niagara Falls, Welland, Fort Erie, Thorold, and St. Catharines. [8] Local passes stopped being sold in December 2022 due to the anticipated consolidation of services. [9] Some fareboxes were replaced in order to use magnetic stripe technology. [10] Rider fares were unified across municipalities. [11] Niagara Region Transit has an ageing fleet of buses and significant capital is needed to replace them. [12] In 2023, there was a labour strike by employees. [13]

In 2024, NRT OnDemand services were transferred to Voyago and replaced previous local specialized transit services which were under contract to Via Mobility and BTS Network. [14] In July 2025, fares will be changed to $3.50 for both local and intercity trips. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Catharines</span> City in Ontario, Canada

St. Catharines is the most populous city in Canada's Niagara Region, the eighth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2017, St. Catharines has an area of 96.13 square kilometres (37.12 sq mi) and 140,370 residents. It lies in Southern Ontario, 51 kilometres (32 mi) south of Toronto across Lake Ontario, and is 19 kilometres (12 mi) inland from the international boundary with the United States along the Niagara River. It is the northern entrance of the Welland Canal. Residents of St. Catharines are known as St. Catharinites. St. Catharines carries the official nickname "The Garden City" due to its 1,000 acres (4 km2) of parks, gardens, and trails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welland</span> City in Ontario, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorold</span> City in Ontario, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regional Municipality of Niagara</span> Regional municipality in Ontario, Canada

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King's Highway 58, commonly referred to as Highway 58, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The route is divided into two segments with a combined length of 15.5 km (9.6 mi). The southern segment travels from Niagara Regional Road 3, formerly Highway 3, in Port Colborne, to the Highway 58A junction in the southern end of Welland, a distance of 7.2 km (4.5 mi). The northern segment begins at Highway 20 near Allanburg and travels north and west to a large junction with Highway 406 at the St. Catharines – Thorold boundary, a distance of 8.3 km (5.2 mi). An 18.1 km (11.2 mi) gap separates the two segments within Welland and Pelham. The entire route is located within the Regional Municipality of Niagara.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority</span> Public transit operator in Erie and Niagara Counties, New York

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The NFTA, as an authority, oversees a number of subsidiaries, including the NFTA Metro bus and rail system, the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, the Niagara Falls International Airport and NFTA Small Boat Harbor. The NFTA Metro bus and rail system is a multi-modal agency, utilizing various vehicle modes, using the brand names: NFTA Metro Bus, NFTA Metro Rail, NFTA Metrolink and NFTA PAL. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 15,429,900, or about 54,600 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara Falls Transit</span> Defunct public transportation authority in Ontario, Canada

Niagara Falls Transit was a public transit agency that operated the public transport bus services in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada between 1960 and 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Catharines Transit</span>

St. Catharines Transit (SCT) was a public transit agency which provided bus services to St. Catharines, Ontario, and the neighbouring city of Thorold. The St. Catharines Transit Commission took over operation of transit services within the city from Canadian National Transportation in 1961. In January 2023, St. Catharines Transit was merged with Niagara Falls Transit, Welland Transit, and Fort Erie Transit to form a single regional transit service, Niagara Region Transit.

Welland Transit was a public transportation agency in Welland, Ontario, Canada from 1977 to 2022. Upon its inception in 1973 the bus service was operated by a private company, known as "Metro Niagara Transit," funded by the city of Welland, which assumed full operation of the transit system in 1977. On January 1, 2023, it was merged with St. Catharines Transit and Niagara Falls Transit to form Niagara Region Transit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Erie Transit</span> Public transportation authority of Fort Erie, Ontario

Fort Erie Transit was a public transit operator in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada.

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The Niagara District Junior B Hockey League was a Canadian Junior ice hockey league in the Golden Horseshoe of Ontario from 1954 until 1979. The league was a part of the Ontario Hockey Association of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and was eligible for the Sutherland Cup.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEGO (Niagara Falls)</span> Tourist-oriented bus service in Niagara Falls, Canada

WEGO Visitor Transportation System (WEGO) is a bus system in Niagara Falls, Ontario jointly operated by Niagara Region Transit and the Niagara Parks Commission. It replaced Niagara Falls Transit's Falls Shuttle, as well as the Niagara Parks Commission People Mover. Originally scheduled to launch on June 29, 2012, the service's inauguration was postponed due to delays in its buses' intelligent transportation system. WEGO launched its preview service on August 13, 2012, then finally began official operations, a week later, on August 20. WEGO is a pairing of the words "we" and "go". WEGO is not an acronym for anything, however.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Niagara Region municipal elections</span>

Elections were held in the Niagara Region of Ontario on October 22, 2018, in conjunction with municipal elections across the province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Niagara Region municipal elections</span> Canadian local elections

Elections were held in the Niagara Region of Ontario on October 24, 2022, in conjunction with municipal elections across the province.

References

  1. ↑ "New consolidated transit system in Niagara". Niagara Region Transit. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  2. ↑ "Fares". Niagara Region Transit. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  3. ↑ Bolichowski, Jeff. "Ride on new Region transit service costs $5 — at first". St. Catharines Standard. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011.
  4. 1 2 Bolichowski, Jeff (September 9, 2011). "Regional transit system hits the road Monday". St. Catharines Standard. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012.
  5. ↑ "NRT OnDemand celebrates one year anniversary of service launch" . Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  6. ↑ Sawchuck, Bill. "Dropping the word 'region' as too negative, Niagara Transit getting a fresh new look". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  7. 1 2 "How We Go - Niagara Region, Ontario". www.niagararegion.ca. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  8. ↑ Tymczyszyn, Bob. "Niagara receives award for transit consolidation". The St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  9. ↑ Longwell, Karen. "Transit becomes one integrated system across Niagara Region next month". InSauga. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  10. ↑ "Niagara Region Transit rolls out new fareboxes". Niagara on the Lake Local. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  11. ↑ Benner, Allan. "Decades-old regional transit dream becomes a reality in Niagara". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  12. ↑ Benner, Allen. "Niagara Region Transit service cuts, rising fares face opposition". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  13. ↑ Benner, Allan. "Staff shortages, union dispute led to bus cancellations at Niagara Region Transit". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  14. ↑ Heslop, Bonnie. "Changes coming to transit in Niagara, with Voyago taking over NRT OnDemand and Specialized Transit". iHeart Radio. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  15. ↑ Sawchuck, Bill. "Niagara bus fares harmonize to one single price". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
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