Regional councillor's motion asks to bring back 2 bus routes that were axed during the pandemic

A regional councillor says she wants to see Grand River Transit re-introduce two bus routes that were axed during the pandemic. 

Regional Coun. Colleen James is set to table a notice of motion during a council meeting Wednesday night to ask for transit routes 91 and 92 to be reinstated before September and become a permanent service as of next year.

Route 91 ran late at night before COVID-19 in Kitchener and Waterloo but was axed during the pandemic due to lack of ridership.

James said Route 92 ran during peak hours as well. She said she heard from students and the community that there is a need to bring the route back.

"We see our ridership numbers and they're up and one of the things I'm conscious of is we need to make our transportation more efficient and effective in order to keep encouraging people to use it," James told CBC News.

"I think there is a demand. Sometimes we make decisions and we really don't think about the implications of them years later."

A report in March showed 2023 was the busiest year ever for Grand River Transit with ridership numbers at 26.4 million, up by 48.3 per cent from 2022. 

James said she also heard from the community that there's a safety and financial component with bringing the routes back.

"There are students and people who are working late at night, shift workers and business that are open in uptown and part of what I was concerned about and why I thought there was a need to bring this was to address some of those safety concerns with how people are travelling," she said.

She said many students and other residents are spending more money taking an Uber or taxi to get around and to go to school and work.

"Individuals who are working, their wages are going right into taking a cab home, so it offsets that. More money in peoples' pocket," she said.

James said part of her motion will ask staff to see if reintroducing the bus routes is feasible and whether it can be an item to consider during budget talks. 

The UW NDP club started a petition asking for more transit options late at night in Waterloo.

Damian Mikhail, co-president of the UW NDP, told CBC News earlier this month that students need the service because they're in uptown working, studying or socializing.

"When you're working until ... sometimes 4:00 a.m. in in uptown, closing things up, you don't have a way to get home without a car," he said.

"We're also talking about safety because walking home late at night, it doesn't feel safe and often it isn't. So having that bus there to get you home safely and quickly [is] extremely important."

Wednesday's regional council meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.