iXpress

iXpress

iXpress buses (such as 2417 seen here at the Charles Street Terminal in Kitchener) are painted in a distinctive livery.
Service type	express bus service
Operator	Grand River Transit
Website	iXpress

iXpress (/ˈaɪɛksprɛs/ eye-ek-spress)^[1][2] is a bus rapid transit service in Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. As of September 2015, Grand River Transit operates five iXpress routes.

The "i" in iXpress stands for "intelligent", due to the implementation of intelligent transportation system.

History

200 iXpress - Conestoga Mall / Ainslie Terminal

As part of its autumn service expansion, on September 6, 2005, GRT launched iXpress along a central transit corridor through Waterloo, Kitchener, and Cambridge.

Buses serving this route stop only at twenty designated stops along the route:

• Conestoga Mall Transit Terminal
• Parkside at Northfield
• McCormick (Albert McCormick Community Centre)
• R & T Park (David Johnston Research & Technology Park, University of Waterloo)
• U.W. / Columbia (Hagey Blvd. at Columbia Street; new stop in September 2013)
• U.W. Davis Centre (William Davis Computer Research Centre at the University of Waterloo; stop originally known as "U. Waterloo")
• Laurier (Wilfrid Laurier University; University Avenue at Hazel Street)
• Uptown Waterloo (King Street at Willis Way)
• Grand River Hospital (King Street)
• Victoria (King Street at Victoria Street)
• Charles Street Transit Terminal (Downtown Kitchener)
• Ottawa (Charles Street at Ottawa Street)
• Fairview Park Mall Transit Terminal
• Sportsworld Crossing Park & Ride (Added September 2014)
• Hespeler at Pinebush
• Cambridge Centre Transit Terminal
• Hespeler at Can-Amera
• Delta intersection
• Ainslie Street Transit Terminal (Downtown Galt)

iXpress uses the same fare and ticketing structure as GRT’s other bus routes, and passengers pay at the farebox on the bus (contrast with the Viva service in York Region, where fares are paid before boarding the vehicle). Buses that serve iXpress normally have a special livery which prominently displays a large iXpress logo on each side. All buses with iXpress livery are Nova LFS models purchased in 2004, 2009 and 2010, numbered from 2408–2409, 20901-20913, and 21001-21006. (However, GRT is sometimes forced to use a bus with the "wrong" livery on any route.) In autumn 2009, new Nova LFS models were purchased to replace the existing iXpress fleet. As these become equipped to service the route, the older 2004-era buses are reverting to regular GRT livery. Only two of the 2004-era buses retain the iXpress livery.

The bus route, which is supported in part by funding from the federal government, runs 7 days a week, approximately every 10 minutes between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays, every 15 minutes weekday evenings and Saturdays, and every half-hour on Sundays. GRT reports that the buses are given priority at seventeen intersections, although this is accomplished by extending red/green signal times en route rather than through the installation of "white bar" transit priority signals. All stations provide real-time passenger information, while lockers, and bicycle racks are only found at major stops.

Passengers can view the next stop on an LED Screen mounted at the front of the bus and listen to announcements that announce the next stop. Like other Ontario transit systems, GRT later expanded the automated-stop system to all its rolling stock. (This is due to two rulings by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario—Lepofsky v. Toronto Transit Commission, 2007 HRTO 23; and Ontario Human Rights Commission v. Toronto Transit Commission, 2005 HRTO 36, (September 29, 2005) -- that require such announcements to be made in order to assist passengers.)

The original iXpress service was implemented to replace and expand on the former Express Route 101, which had provided peak-time express services between Fairview Park Mall and University of Waterloo. The iXpress bus is not considered sufficient to meet the Region’s long-term needs, but is seen as a way to build up ridership levels in order to demonstrate the viability of GRT’s plans for higher-grade transport services.

The system uses special bus stops

In early 2006, new state-of-the-art bus shelters were installed along the iXpress route, at McCormick, R&T Park, UW, Laurier, and Grand River Hospital stations. Uptown Waterloo, Ottawa, Smart!Centres and Cambridge Centre stations have also received matching shelters since then; Conestoga Mall, Charles Street Terminal, Fairview Park Mall, and Ainslie Street Terminal have not, since they have existing terminal facilities. Other features currently that have been rolled out include real-time tracking, which will show what time the next bus will arrive, through the GPS system installed on the iXpress buses. Electronic displays with this information, along with maps, are being added to the specialized shelters. On June 30, 2007, the iXpress added daytime Saturday service; September 2007 saw the addition of evening weekday service and Sunday service and September 2008 saw an increase to 15 minute service until approx 6PM weekdays.^[3]

Until September 2011, the route number 200 was used internally on Bus Operator Itineraries and on the INIT electronic GPS system on board each iXpress bus, with run numbers between 8000 and 8099. Nearly all public signs and maps referred to the route by the name iXpress; signs at the Charles Street Transit Terminal in downtown Kitchener originally called the route "200" but these signs were quickly replaced. The number was made public when a second iXpress route, 201, was introduced.

The 200 is set to be superseded by Ion rapid transit services over two phases. The first, in late 2015, saw the Fairway to Ainslie portion replaced by Ion's adapted bus rapid transit service; this follows a more direct route along Hespeler Road, and saw all the 200 stops except Cambridge Centre replaced by more advanced station structures. New stops have been added at Can-Amera Parkway and the Delta intersection; for the time being the route remains numbered 200 and uses iXpress-branded vehicles. Two years later, at the launch of Ion light rail, the remainder of the service (Fairway to Conestoga) will become redundant. The Fiarway to Ainslie service will become served by upgraded buses, carrying the Ion branding; a new terminal is also planned for Cambridge Centre. All other iXpress services will remain under the pre-existing branding.

201 iXpress: Forest Glen Plaza - Conestoga Mall

In September 2011, route 201 iXpress began service between Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo with Forest Glen Terminal in Kitchener, with the route running along Columbia Street, Fischer-Hallman Road, and Block Line Road. Buses servicing the 201 are generally of the standard GRT livery, as they often interline with standard routes upon reaching the Forest Glen terminus.

The route was extended in September 2013 to Conestoga Mall. The extension means that route 201 no longer serves WLU. Route 200 iXpress now stops at Hagey and Columbia to allow transfers between the two routes.

This route usually runs every 15 minutes on weekdays and 30 minutes on weekends.^[4]

202 iXpress: The Boardwalk - Conestoga Mall

In September 2013, route 202 iXpress began service between Conestoga Mall and The Boardwalk, travelling mainly on University Avenue. Passengers wishing to transfer from 202 to 200 or vice versa must do so at Laurier or Conestoga Mall; route 200 does not stop at University / Phillip even though route 202 does. The bus runs every 15 minutes on weekdays, every 30 minutes on Saturday and Sunday.^[5]

203 iXpress: Cambridge Centre - Sportsworld - Conestoga College

In April, 2014, Route 203 iXpress began service between Cambridge Centre and Sportsworld connecting many places such as the Toyota factory. It runs at 30 minute intervals. In September, service expanded to the nearby Conestoga College.^[6]

204 iXpress: The Boardwalk - Ottawa/Lackner

A new 'crosstown' iXpress, numbered 204, launched in September 2015. It runs from the Boardwalk shopping centre, traveling on Ira Needles Boulevard to take Highland Road then Queen Street to downtown Kitchener. It departs downtown on the Victoria Street North corridor, following that street to Lackner Boulevard, which follows to Ottawa Street North where it terminates.

References