10 helpful facts about York Region Transit

From fare prices to how much fare evasion will cost you --a lot --here's what you need to know

Yorkregion.com
March 15, 2019
Tim Kelly

York Region Transit was formed in 2001 to move bus riders where they need to go throughout the nine municipalities that make up the region.

In nearly two decades, the transit organization operated by the Regional Municipality of York has grown and become a fundamental fact of life for the tens of thousands of residents who depend upon YRT to get them to their destination each day.

Here are 10 things you need to know about York Region Transit and Viva rapid transit.

• YRT/VIVA by the numbers: 22.8 million passenger trips per year (based on 2016 numbers), 1.3 million hours of service, 30.5 million kilometres of service

• In York Region, there are 128 bus routes that include more than 5,300 bus stops, 24 Rapidway Viva stations and 106 curbside Viva stations.

• There are 123 Viva buses; 406 conventional YRT buses; and 97 mobility-plus vehicles, which serve more than 8,000 registered mobility plus customers. In 2014, YRT said it made in excess of 358,000 Mobility Plus trips for those customers.

• York Region Transit serves an area of 1,776 square kilometres, with a population of nearly 1.2 million people and the more than 600,000 people who go to work.

• On an average weekday more than 77,000 people ride a York Region Transit bus in York Region.

• The busiest routes are the following (with daily ridership) : (1) Viva blue 13,353; (2) Viva Purple 5,705; (3) No. 77 (Hwy. 7) 3366; (4) No. 88 (Bathurst) 3,159; (5) No. 20 (Jane) 2,446; (6) 91 (Bayview) 2,853; (7) Major Mackenzie 2,410; and (8) No. 85 (Rutherford) 2,420.

• Current YRT fares: cash fare for all ages $4; express $4.50; ride to GO $1. Presto card: adult $3.75; youth $3; child and senior $2.35; express $4.25; ride to GO $1. Monthly pass: adult $150; youth $117; child and senior $63, express $171, GTA weekly pass $63.

• On July 1, 2019, YRT fares will change to the following: cash fare for all ages $4.25; express fare $4.75; ride to GO $1. Presto card: adult $3.88; youth $3.03; child and senior $2.40; ride to GO $1. Monthly pass: adult $154; youth $118; child and senior $65; express $175. GTA weekly pass $63.

• Connect with YRT at the following: On its website at www.yrt.ca. On Twitter at @YRTViva. On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/YRTViva. On Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/YRTViva/ On YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/officialyrtviva. And you can phone YRT at 1-866-668-3978.

• If you don’t pay when you get on a Viva bus and you’re caught by a YRT fare inspector, it will cost you and it will be a lot more than if you had paid: a $155 fine. It pays to pay to use transit.