Hamilton’s public transit agency, the Hamilton Street Railway, states they will resume pre-COVID levels of service on many routes beginning on Sunday, December 27, 2020.
Other routes will return to pre-COVID service off-peak service levels, and operating at off peak service frequencies during rush hour.
Routes 1, 2, 4, 5, 11, 12, 16, 18, 20, 43, 44, 52A will return to regular service levels. Routes 1-King, 2-Barton, 4-Bayfront, 5-Deleware, 11-Parkdale, 20-A Line, 43-Stone Church, and 44-Rymal are busier routes which service many places of employment. Unschedule buses have been servicing these routes at times this fall, but there have remained crowding issues at times.
For other routes resuming pre-COVID off-peak schedules, the service level should be adequate with supplemental non-scheduled service. As an example, the HSR has placed extra buses at Lime Ridge Mall after closing hours for mall employees.
The “Upper” buses which service Hamilton Mountain are operating with buses every 20 minutes, pre-COVID they would peak at every 15 minutes. The 33-Sanatorium is operating every 30 minutes. The 34-Upper Paradise is operating hourly service to each of its terminus points, every 30 minute service north of Stone Church Road.
Route 51-University service remains suspended as McMaster continues to operate the vast majority of its classes online.
The HSR will continue operating extra buses for secondary schools to manage overcrowding from peak demand at bell times.
The federal government provided the City of Hamilton with $17-million to support transit during COVID.
Production Details v. 1.0.0 First published: November 24, 2020 Last edited: November 24, 2020 Author: Joey Coleman Edit Record v. 1.0.0 original version