No. H188/05For release September 29, 2005
KITCHENER - Representatives of Grand River Transit, along with
representatives from Transport Canada, the province and regional government,
officially launched iXpress bus service Thursday. IXpress, which began service
September 6, 2005, is a fast, limited-stop, direct bus route from Conestoga Mall
in Waterloo to the Ainslie Street Bus Terminal in Cambridge.
This route links major centres such as universities, regional hospitals,
shopping malls and downtown districts, and connects riders to other Grand
River Transit bus routes. Customers will be able to travel across the
Waterloo Region quickly and comfortably with substantial time savings.
"Not only will the Central Transit Corridor Express reduce traffic congestion
on busy roads, but it will also help Waterloo Region reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and improve air quality," said Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre.
"It is innovative projects such as this one that provide Canadians with
convenient and sustainable transit options."
IXpress is the first step of a rapid transit system in the Waterloo Region
that will support urban renewal, enhance residents' quality of life and improve
the economic vitality of the region.
"This express service is a key component of the region's Growth Management
Strategy," said Regional Chair Ken Seiling. "We believe it will help build
ridership levels that will eventually support higher level rapid transit."
The Region of Waterloo has seen Grand River Transit ridership increase by 50
per cent in Cambridge, and 17 per cent overall, since acquiring transit
operations in January 2000. The iXpress initiative will further enhance the
transit experience for riders and continue to encourage residents to take
advantage of the region's exceptional transit system.
IXpress is part of the Urban Transportation Showcase Program - a five-year
program created to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from urban transportation in
Canadian cities. Transport Canada is contributing up to $3 million in funding,
up to one third of the cost of iXpress service. The Region of Waterloo was
selected as one of eight municipalities across the country to receive funds from
this program.
"This iXpress service is a great addition to our community," said Karen
Redman, Member of Parliament for Kitchener Centre. "It will help citizens get
around faster and encourage a more environmentally friendly transportation
option."
The service runs Monday to Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with 15-minute
frequency during the morning and afternoon rush hour periods and 30-minute
frequency during the midday. Transit priority measures at selected intersections
will be used to help buses move along the route more quickly.
"This new service provides a vital and environmentally friendly
transportation link across Waterloo Region," said Andrew Telegdi, Member of
Parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo. "It also provides a welcome link between the
University of Waterloo and its Faculty of Architecture."
"This project will go a long way to modernizing transit service in Kitchener.
In this era of high gas prices and soaring energy demand, insuring faster, safer
and reliable public transit service is crucial to the growth and prosperity of
the Kitchener-Waterloo corridor," said Lynn Myers, Member of Parliament for
Kitchener-Conestoga. "The UTSP will help Canada achieve its Kyoto Protocol
targets and insure sustainable transportation solutions as outlined in the
Action Plan 2000 on Climate Change. The Liberal Government is committed to a
clean, high quality public transportation system and this project is a positive
step in that direction."
In 2006, watch for real-time information displays using a global positioning
system at each of the unique and contemporary iXpress stations. Bike racks and
lockers at selected stations and an online trip planner will make taking transit
easier than ever.
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Contacts:
Eric Gillespie
Director of Transit Services
Region of Waterloo
(519) 585-7597 ext. 7270
Irène Marcheterre
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister, Ottawa
(613) 991-0700
Sandy Roberts
Manager of Marketing
and Communications
Grand River Transit
(519) 585-7597 ext. 7231
Chris Krepski
Communications
Transport Canada, Ottawa
(613) 993-0055
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca.
Subscribe to news releases and speeches at apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date
on the latest from Transport Canada.
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