A new express bus route has proven to be even more popular than officials had hoped.
The success of the 90 Express – London’s first foray into bus rapid transit - is making a case for a $350 million city-wide expansion.
Bus rapid transit systems exist in many other Ontario cities. They use express lines with fewer stops to shuttle riders between transfer points.
The local express provides a high speed link between Masonville and downtown.
Transit users say they like the service.
“Usually you have to stop at 20 stops along the way, so its inconvenient. I just got on the bus five minutes ago and I’m already here,” one rider said upon arrival at Masonville.
The London Transit Commission’s general manager Larry Ducharme, says the popularity has exceeded expectations.
“We are at a return rate we would normally expect in seven months in only two weeks. So that's huge for us.
The 90 Express is part of a much larger plan. The LTC is fine tuning a $380 million pitch to roll out bus rapid transit across the city with north-south routes on Richmond and Wellington and east-west lines on Oxford.
The price, financed over 20 years, would pay for additional buses as well as redesigning roads to include dedicated bus lanes and other infrastructure.
London Transit commissioner and councillor, Joni Baechler, says upper levels of government will be asked to contribute as they have in other cities.
“We have been studying it and we really do have to get going with our ask to the province and the feds.”
Ducharme believes the service will be expanding.
“I think it has whet their appetite for the concept and made them interested in extending the concept to other parts of the city.”
