Posted on June 10: HSR express bus service gains steam

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/sandra_singh.jpg” caption=”Sandra Singh”]Hop on the bus Gus. McMaster's Alternative Commuting & Transportation Office (ACT) is offering you a free ride.

A two-week pilot express bus service from Ancaster and Dundas to campus has been gaining steam since it was launched June 2. With only a few days left, it's important employees and students take advantage of this free service, says ACT co-ordinator Jennifer Dawson.

“The success of this pilot program will determine whether McMaster will pursue a partnership with the Hamilton Street Railway to provide a regular Meadowlands Express to McMaster,” she says.

The 10-day pilot service ends June 13.

“We see this as a milestone opportunity to start a better integrated service from the mountain to campus,” says Physical Plant director Tony Cupido. “This is a logical start.”

“It's a huge service,” adds Cupido, who will use the bus service if it continues this fall. “As an Ancaster resident who lives on the east side of the 403, I'm very excited about this.”

So far, the response to the service has been positive, he says. An assessment will be made following the pilot period to determine the financial return and interest in the project.

To take the bus from Meadowlands, board at the Martindale & Neville bus stop adjacent to the Zellers parking lot at the Meadowlands “Power Centre” and travel non-stop via the Linc and 403 directly to McMaster's main campus. There are park n' ride facilities beside the Meadowlands bus stop.

From Dundas, the bus departs from Pirie/Governors and travels along Governors, Creighton, Market, King, and Cootes Drive to the University. All regular HSR stops along this route will be serviced. Since there is no regular existing service along Creighton and Market St, those wishing to board the McMaster-bound bus along this section of the pilot route can simply flag down the bus. On the return trip, just notify the driver of where you would like to disembark along Creighton or Market St.

Each service arrives at McMaster at 8:15 a.m. and 8:55 a.m. and departs from McMaster at 4:40 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. Buses leaving campus in the afternoon will pick up passengers at the bus stop on the east side of University Dr. at the back of the hospital near Life Sciences, and on Sterling St. across from the Museum of Art on the same side as Divinity College. Look for the neon green signs in the bus shelters.

To use the service, show your employee ID or student card to the bus driver. The buses are identified by a destination sign that reads “Ancaster” or “Dundas”, and a windshield card that reads “Meadowlands-McMaster Express” or “Captain Cootes Express” from Dundas.

Click here for a detailed timetable. Click here for a route map, complete with stops.

Photo caption: Sandra Singh, operations manager for Parking & Transit Services. Courtesy, ACT office.