Georgina, East Gwillimbury residents can click-and-ride with new YRT service

Residents can book a YRT ride on new Mobility on-Request app

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 23, 2019
Amanda Persico

Getting to where you need to go is as easy as click, book and ride.

York Region Transit is rolling out a new service, Mobility on-Request (MoR) in the Georgina and East Gwillimbury areas.

The MoR service will run in the Keswick and Mount Albert area.

And to make it easier, riders can book a ride through the new Mobility on-Request app in the Google Play or Apple stores -- currently only available to the Aurora, Keswick and Mount Albert routes.

MoR is a rebrand of YRT’s mobility services as a whole, said YRT operations director, Fabrizio Guzzo.

“It’s a natural progression,” he said.

Instead of a stop-to-stop service that runs on a strict time schedule, MoR is an address-to-address service, making it more convenient for riders to get to popular destinations in town.

Conventional buses will continue to run on a regular schedule during the morning and afternoon rush hours.

The new MoR will take over route 51 in Keswick and 58 in Mount Albert during off-peak hours.

Based on user data and market research, YRT came up with a number of hubs within town, Guzzo added.

“We tried to utilize travel patterns and match data with common stop requests,” he said. “It becomes a more tailored service.”

Instead of boarding a conventional 40- or 60-foot bus, riders will be picked up in smaller YRT vehicles, such as sedans, minivans and vans, which saves on operational costs, Guzzo said.

“Operating a conventional bus has the highest cost,” he said. “One MoR vehicle will cost a lot less than one bus on the road.”

Routes converted to the new MoR service were the ones with the fewest riders and highest costs, Guzzo added.

Operating a conventional bus for route 51 during off-peak hours costs close to $40 per passenger -- one of the most expensive routes to operate per rider in 2018.

Costs balloon on Saturdays, costing YRT more than $63 per rider.

Operating a conventional bus for route 58 during off-peak hours costs close to $30 per passenger.

These are two of the most expensive routes to operate per rider in 2018.

The average YRT fare was about $3.18 per rider in 2018.

For the same YRT fare, the MoR shuttle-like service, which is not tied to a conventional route, means quicker A-to-B service.

For now, the new service is only available to riders in the Keswick area, between Ravenshoe Road and Old Homestead Road and between Lake Drive South and Woodbine Avenue.

The on-request program is available Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. and on Saturday 8 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.

The new service is available to riders in the Sharon and Mount Albert area, between 2nd Concession and Ninth Line and between Green Lane/Herald Road and Queensville Sideroad.

The on-request program is available Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. and on Saturday 8 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.

Riders can call YRT dispatch, 1-844-667-5327, at least an hour in advance and request a curbside pickup and drop-off at select locations during off-peak hours.

Only the Georgina, East Gwillimbury and Aurora MoR routes are available on the app, while all MoR rides in York Region can be booked by calling YRT dispatch, 1-844-667-5327.

Riders can hitch a YRT ride to-and-from any one of the five designated stops:

Georgina:

• Simcoe Avenue and Metro Road;

• Glenwoods Avenue and The Queensway South;

• The Queensway South and Ravenshoe Road;

• Keswick Marketplace at Woodbine and Glenwoods avenues; and

• Georgina Ice Palace, 90 Wexford Dr.

East Gwillimbury:

• Foodland, 19263 Highway 48;

• East Gwillimbury Public Library -- Mount Albert Branch, 19300 Centre St.;

• Mount Albert Variety and Gift Shop, 74 Main St.;

• Mount Albert Road and Leslie Street; and

• East Gwillimbury GO Station, 845 Green Lane.

For more information visit yrt.ca.