Category Archives: Schedules
10 B-LINE EXPRESS gets extended; Saturday service starting September 1st
There are some pretty solid service changes coming in September to the HSR in Hamilton. The most notable of a change is to route 10 B-LINE EXPRESS, the East-West express bus that operates between the Eastgate Transit Terminal and University Plaza in Dundas. The route has added service on Saturdays and service on weekdays has been extended by three hours, ending at 10:00pm instead of 7:00pm.
Route 44 RYMAL will get extended north to the Walmart Plaza just south of the QEW every day of the week while 56 CENTENNIAL will return to operating on weekends only in the area. 18 WATERDOWN will also see a short extension to Plains Road in Burlinton to make up for the removal of Burlington Transit’s 1 PLAINS bus from the Aldershot GO Station.
Here is a summary of the changes coming in September.
44 RYMAL extended north to Walmart in September
Beginning Fall 2019, route 44 RYMAL will be extended to service Walmart on Centennial Parkway just south of the QEW. Customers along the corridor between Eastgate Square and Walmart will benefit from 30 minute frequencies in non-peak mid-day service periods, 20 minute frequencies in am and pm peak service periods, and 1 hour frequencies in the night-time service period.
Customers along the corridor will also benefit from expanded hours to match the current route 44 RYMAL span of approximately 5:30 am to 12:30 am Monday through Saturday and 6 am to 12 midnight on Sundays.
The extension greatly exceeds the current service span and frequency of 56 CENTENNIAL.
Upcoming Spring 2019 HSR changes
Effective April 28 2019, HSR will be implementing changes affecting several routes.
Re-routing of Route 7 LOCKE due to construction will begin on April 28th and remain in effect for the duration of the project. Buses during this time will not service Locke Street directly. Buses will travel southbound on Queen Street South and northbound on Dundurn Street South. Re-routing buses will require customers to walk into the Locke St shopping district, but will allow buses to maintain schedule integrity.
Permanent re-routing of Route 34 UPPER PARADISE Will also begin on April 28th. This route has been impacted by a number of speed calming initiatives over recent years and buses are no longer able to remain on schedule. Upcoming changes to the route should make route 34 service more reliable for customers.
- The route is being shortened and will now end at Main at MacNab rather than King at James.
- Buses returning to the mountain will travel southbound on James Street South and then westbound on Hunter Street West to Queen Street South.
Permanent change to bus stops on King between James and MacNab Will also take place. The stop platform is being expanded to allow for greater accessibility for the six different route variations that operate at this location. The stops have been consolidated and re-aligned so that the buses running along Main St W (5-2 DELAWARE, 10 B-LINE EXPRESS) will operate from the stop closest to MacNab, while the buses running through McMaster University (1A KING, 5C DELAWARE, 51 UNIVERSITY) will operate from the stop closest to James.
Also starting April 28th is a trial stop re-location for the bus stop for Routes 2 BARTON and 3 CANNON from James at King back to James at King William. The trial will take place from April 28 until September 2019. The aim is to alleviate congestion created by multiple buses attempting to service a singular platform while at the same location 1 KING buses are attempting to turn onto James.
Finally the 56 CENTENNIAL Riverdale Pilot, has been extended until June 22nd, 2019.
Notice: Holiday Service Monday for Thanksgiving
As a reminder, the Hamilton Street Railway will be operating on a holiday schedule for Thanksgiving this Monday. On this date many routes will be operating with reduced frequencies while some routes will not be operating at all.
The following routes will not be in service Monday:
Notice: Holiday Service Monday for Labour Day
As a reminder, the Hamilton Street Railway will be operating on a holiday schedule for the Labour Day this Monday. On this date many routes will be operating with reduced frequencies while some routes will not be operating at all.
The following routes will not be in service Monday:
Additional service to the 51 UNIVERSITY added starting Monday
The HSR will be starting seasonal service for route 51 UNIVERSITY a week early this year in support of McMaster University’s Welcome Week.
In advance of the Fall Board schedule taking effect Sunday September 2nd, 2018, HSR has added extra service to the 51 UNIVERSITY a week early.
Operating on a Saturday schedule, the 51 University Special will now see service from approximately 11:20am through 2:30am starting Monday, August 27th through Saturday, September 1st inclusive. Buses will operate approximately every 20 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes after 8:00pm.
More information from the City of Hamilton about the McMaster University U-Pass including changes and restrictions.
Fall 2018 HSR schedules feature route changes, added service
The fall HSR schedules take effect on Sunday September 2, 2018, and there are a few nota
Transit adds crowdsourced real-time @HSR bus locations
Nineteen months ago the developers of the Transit app started generating crowdsourced real-time transit data. That crowdsourced data is a byproduct of the app’s GO feature, Transit’s step-by-step navigator. While GO guides you throughout your journey it also broadcasts your vehicle’s location. That vehicle location data can help other transit riders with up to the second vehicle location.
Typically, transit apps (and riders) get real time bus location information from the City of Hamilton’s transit location data. With a good data feed, real-time locations take 10–30 seconds to update. With a bad data feed, it can take several minutes. It’s why sometimes your phone says a bus is one place, but your eyes say different. This can leave you feeling frustrated and potentially missing your bus.
Notice: Holiday Schedule for George Hamilton Day
As a reminder, the Hamilton Street Railway will be operating on a holiday schedule for the George Hamilton Day (Civic) holiday on August 6th. On this date many routes will be operating with reduced frequencies while some routes will not be operating at all.
The following routes will not be in service on this day:
Extended 56 CENTENNIAL service this summer
Additional HSR service is coming to Hamilton Airport and Van Wagner’s Beach areas this summer
Beginning with the summer schedules, the HSR will begin providing additional service to the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport and the Van Wagner’s Beach area. This additional service starts June 24th, 2018.
Customers traveling to the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport will not see any additional service to express bus route 20 A-LINE EXPRESS but will instead see service hours of the Glanbrook TransCab extended. The service, which costs an additional 50 cents on top of the standard fare, operates from the Mountain Transit Centre to Mount Hope. The hours will be extended during Monday to Saturday, and now on Sundays with newly added weekend hours.
Glanbrook TransCab will now run Monday to Saturday between 6:00am and 2:00am and on Sundays between 6:00am and 1:00am.
