To: York Region Council and York Region Transit (YRT)

York Region residents deserve a public transit system that is affordable, frequent, and well-connected. Unfortunately, YRT continues to fall behind its neighbors in the GTHA when it comes to meeting the basic needs of riders.

1. Expensive Fares
YRT has some of the highest transit fares in the region. A 2-hour ride costs:

• $4.12 for adults
• $3.19 for youths
• $2.52 for children and seniors

Meanwhile, the adult fares for neighbouring transit systems are only between $3.30 and $3.73:

• TTC: $3.30
• BT: $3.40
• Miway: $3.40
• DRT: $3.73

Taking public transit can become expensive quickly, especially for families. For a family of four (two adults and two children) to take a simple round trip within York Region, the total cost is $26.56. YRT should consider having more affordable fares for families. For example, Grand River Transit (GRT) in Waterloo Region offers a $12 group pass for up to 5 people.

No family should have to pay such a steep price just to travel locally by transit. This makes local family outings by transit unaffordable, pushing residents back into cars instead of encouraging transit use.

2. Poor Service Frequency
YRT’s VIVA network has deteriorated over the years. Originally branded as a every 15-min turn-up-and-go service, most VIVA routes are now operating less frequently than every 15 mins, especially on weekends when portions of the VIVA network only have service every 35-45 minutes.

Many of YRT’s base routes run every 30 mins or worse on weekdays and every 50–70 minutes on weekends, which are unacceptable levels of service for a region of over 1.2 million people. Just across the border, the TTC runs buses and subways every 10 minutes or less on major corridors, making travel reliable and convenient. If York Region truly wants to reduce traffic congestion and emissions, YRT must provide a competitive alternative to travellers.

3. Weak Connections to GO Transit
YRT claims to coordinate service with GO Transit trains during peak periods, but in reality, little effort is made to time buses with train arrivals and departures. Riders are often left waiting up to half an hour for a connection.

The solution is straightforward:

• Match bus headways with GO train service patterns (every 15, 30, or 60 minutes, depending on time of day).
• Provide reliable off-peak and weekend connections, not just weekday peak trips.

Our Call to Action
We, the undersigned, call on York Region Council and York Region Transit to:

• Lower fares to make transit affordable for families and individuals.
  Increase service frequency on YRT’s core network to at least every 15 minutes on major routes.
• Properly coordinate schedules with GO Transit to ensure seamless regional travel.
• York Region residents deserve a transit system that supports mobility, equity, and sustainability. It’s time for YRT to step up and provide service that works for the people it serves.

Signed,
More Transit Southern Ontario (MTSO)
and the undersigned supporters