Niagara Transit
 | |
|
| |
| Area Served | Niagara Region, ON |
| Founded | September 2011 |
| Fleet Size | 166 |
| Number Of Routes | 94 |
Niagara Transit provides transit service in Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada.
History
Niagara Regional Council approved Niagara Region Transit as a three year pilot project on June 23, 2010. They granted money for new buses and operating costs to the three major cities' transit systems, Niagara Falls Transit, St. Catharines Transit, and Welland Transit, to operate intercity routes linking the three cities.[1] The initial three routes (50/55, 60/65, 70/75) began service on September 12, 2011. After the pilot phase, Regional Council voted to continue the initiative in 2014; existing intercity routes to Fort Erie and Port Colborne were also rebranded to Regional routes around this time.
Effective September 6, 2016, Niagara Region Transit added a sixth route 40/45 between Niagara Falls and St. Catharines via Niagara College. The new route took over some service destinations from route 50/55, and modified service hours for both lines. Express branches of routes 40/45, 60/65 and 70/75 were introduced in January and September 2019, replacing express services to post-secondary institutions previously operated by local systems.
In August 2020, NRT OnDemand was launched to give passengers in the western end of Niagara Region connections to St Catharines and Welland, as well as local service. The service replaced uLinc and Pelham Transit, while transit service was introduced in Grimsby, West Lincoln, and Wainfleet. Niagara-on-the-Lake Town Council approved an expansion of OnDemand service to Niagara-on-the-Lake as a pilot program on August 24, 2020,[2] with service in Niagara-on-the-Lake commencing in November 2020.
Beginning on January 1, 2023, local systems St. Catharines Transit, Niagara Falls Transit, and Welland Transit were merged into Niagara Region Transit. Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort Erie onDemand service also commences operations by NRT.
On March 1, 2024, Niagara Region Transit assumed the operation of St. John Ambulance Service's Chair-a-Van service in Niagara Falls, another step in having a single provider for all public transportation services in the Niagara region.
On May 21, 2024, a 26-month contract for the operations of microtransit and specialized services between July 1, 2024 and August 31, 2026 was awarded to Voyago Transportation, replacing the previous individual contracts with BTS, BTS-FAST, Regional Limousine, and Coventry.[3] This contract was another step towards unified transit service across Niagara Region.
On July 16, 2024, the Niagara Transit Commission approved new branding and a new name for NRT, being Niagara Transit.[4] The new Niagara Transit branding was later launched on March 12, 2025.[5]
The former Welland Transit garage, which dated from 1973, closed on January 4, 2025; all vehicles and service in Welland was moved to operate out of the existing Niagara Falls garage.
Conventional fleet roster
Active
On Order
| Fleet number(s) | Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | Division | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (19) | 2025 | Nova Bus | LFS | [6] |
Retired
| Fleet number(s) | Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | Operator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | 
|
2002 | New Flyer | D40i | Cummins ISL | Allison B400R | St. Catharines | |
| 0251 | 
|
2003 | New Flyer | D40i | Cummins ISL | Allison B400R | Welland |
|
| 0605, 0607 | 2006 | New Flyer | D40LF | Cummins ISL | Voith D864.3E | St. Catharines Welland |
| |
| 0707, 0711-0712, 0714 | 
|
2007 | New Flyer | DE40LF | Cummins ISL | Allison EP40 hybrid system |
St. Catharines | |
| 0750-0751 | 
|
2007 | New Flyer | D40LF | Cummins ISL | Voith D864.5 | Welland | |
| 0806 | 
|
2008 | New Flyer | DE40LFR | Cummins ISL | Allison EP40 hybrid system |
St. Catharines | |
| 2830-2834 | 
|
2007-08 | New Flyer | D60LFR | Cummins ISM 330 hp |
Allison B500R 6 speed |
Niagara Falls |
Microtransit fleet roster
| Fleet number(s) | Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | Operator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2475 | Toyota | Sienna | Voyago Transportation | |||||
| 2476 | Toyota | Sienna | Voyago Transportation | |||||
| 2492 | Kia | Carnival | Voyago Transportation | |||||
| 24129 | Chrysler | Grand Caravan | Voyago Transportation |
Fleet roster under VIA Transportation
| Fleet number(s) | Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | Operator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (10 units) | 
|
2020 | Toyota | Sienna SE | Toyota 3.5 L 2GR-FKS V6 | Toyota Direct Shift-8AT | VIA Transportation |
References
- ↑ Transit pilot a go, niagarathisweek.com, retrieved on 2011-08-30
- ↑ Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara-on-the-Lake Council Meeting Minutes - August 24, 2020
- ↑ Niagara Transit Commission. NTC Specialty Service Contract Award (NTC 9-2024).
- ↑ Niagara Transit Commission. Niagara Transit Commission Minutes (NTC 7-2024).
- ↑ Niagara Transit. Niagara Transit Commission Launches New Niagara Transit Brand, "We're Going Your Way"
- ↑ Metrolinx TPI – Specialized and Conventional Fleet Procurement 2024
External links
