You may never get that free lunch that you’ve been waiting for, but you can ride your favourite train, subway, bus or streetcar for free on New Year’s Eve and early New Year’s Day. Many Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton and Golden Horseshoe transit agencies are offering passengers free rides and later service to help everyone get home safely after celebrating the start of 2010.
In Toronto, leaders of the city’s entertainment industry are supporting free and later TTC service on rapid transit and regular surface lines from midnight until 4 a.m. (The TTC estimates that this will cost about $85,000.) In Durham Region, two major employers are paying the bills to offer residents free and later DRT service.
However, for the first time in many years, the Hamilton Street Railway, does not operate longer than normally on New Year’s Eve, although passengers can still take advantage of free service after 6 p.m.
These transit agencies either offer later service or free rides for their passengers — or both — on New Year’s Eve:
- Barrie Transit
- Brampton Transit
- Burlington Transit
- DARTS ([Hamilton] Disabled and Aged Regional Transportation Service)
- Durham Region Transit
- GO Transit
- Grand River Transit
Part 2:
- Guelph Transit
- Hamilton Street Railway
- Mississauga Transit
- Oakville Transit
- Region of Peel Transhelp
- St. Catharines Transit Commission
- Toronto Transit Commission
- Wheel-Trans
Guelph Transit — Later service on New Year’s Eve
No free service
You can ride Guelph Transit buses along these routes until about 2:15 a.m.:
54 Arkell
6 Auden / Eastview
10 College / Niska
22 Conestoga
8 General Hospital
51 Gordon
24 Industrial
23 Paisley / Imperial
9 Stone Road Mall
7 St. Joseph’s Hospital
52 University / Kortright
61 Victor Davis
3 Waterloo / Fife
Woodlawn
4 York Road
Last buses leave St. George’s Square at 2:15 a.m.
Guelph Transit Mobility Service — Later service on New Year’s Eve
No free service. Service available until 2:15 a.m.
Hamilton Street Railway — No later service on New Year’s Eve
Free rides after 6 p.m.
HSR buses operate with their regular schedules along all routes. Most buses finish their final trips of the day by 1:30 a.m.
Mississauga Transit — Later service on New Year’s Eve
Free rides after 7 p.m.
You can ride Mississauga Transit buses along these routes until about 3 a.m.: 1 Dundas; 3 Bloor; 5 Dixie; 9 Rathburn - Miller’s Grove; 13 Glen Erin; 19 Hurontario; 23 Lakeshore; 26 Burnhamthorpe; 34 Credit Valley.
3 Bloor
An extra eastbound bus leaves the Mississauga City Centre Terminal (Square One) at 3:11 a.m. An extra westbound bus leaves Islington Station at 3:51 a.m.
26 Burnhamthorpe
Eastbound buses operate every 50 minutes after 1:20 a.m. Last bus leaves South Common Centre terminal at 2:09 a.m. Westbound buses operate every 50 minutes after 2:23 a.m. Last bus leaves Islington Station at 3:12 a.m.
34 Credit Valley
Eastbound buses operate every 40 minutes after 12:51 a.m. Last bus leaves the Erin Mills Town Centre terminal at 2:55 a.m. Westbound buses operate every 40 minutes after 1:03 a.m. Last bus leaves Mississauga City Centre Terminal (Square One) at 2:17 a.m.
5 Dixie
Southbound buses operate every 54 minutes after 12:37 a.m. Extra buses leave Dixie Road and Matheson Boulevard East at 2:10 and 3:04 a.m. Northbound buses operate every 54 minutes after 1:07 a.m. Extra buses leave Long Branch Loop at 1:31, 2:25 and 3 a.m. for Dixie Road and Matheson Boulevard only.
1 Dundas
Eastbound buses operate every 35 minutes after 1:30 a.m. Last bus leaves Laird Drive west of Ridgeway Drive at 2:44 a.m. Westbound buses operate every 35 minutes after 2:25 a.m. Last bus leaves Islington Station at 3:40 a.m.
13 Glen Erin
Southbound buses operate every 50 minutes after 1:12 a.m. Last bus leaves the Meadowvale Town Centre terminal at 2:51 a.m. Northbound buses operate every 50 minutes after 2:01 a.m. Last bus leaves Clarkson GO Station at 3:41 a.m.
19 Hurontario
Southbound buses operate every 30 minutes after 12:44 a.m. Last bus leaves Shoppers World terminal at 3:44 a.m. Last northbound bus leaves at 3:42 a.m.
23 Lakeshore
Eastbound buses operate every 75 minutes after 12:37 a.m. Last bus leaves Clarkson GO Station at 3:02 a.m. Westbound buses operate every 75 minutes after 1:20 a.m. Last bus leaves Long Branch Loop at 3:38 a.m.
9 Rathburn - Miller’s Grove
Southbound buses operate every 75 minutes after 12:06 a.m. Last bus leaves the Meadowvale Town Centre terminal at 3:38 a.m. Northbound buses operate every 75 minutes after 12:34 a.m. Last bus leaves the Mississauga City Centre Terminal (Square One) at 3:04 a.m.
11 Westwood
Southbound buses continue to operate every 34 minutes after 1:50 a.m. Last bus leaves Westwood Terminal at 3:30 a.m. Northbound buses continue to operate every 34 minutes after 2:23 a.m. Last bus leaves Islington Station at 4:05 a.m.
Mississauga Transit also provides “early homebound” afternoon rush-hour service along some routes on December 31.
Oakville Transit — Later service on New Year’s Eve
No free service.
Oakville Transit provides late-night buses from the Oakville GO Station at 12:25 and 1:50 a.m. to coincide with the arrival times of the last two GO Transit trains operating along the 01 Lakeshore West line from Union Station. (Regular 1:25 a.m. late-night buses do not operate on December 31.)
Passengers leaving the trains board the buses that serve the area of Oakville that they wish to reach - northeast , northwest, southeast or southwest - and tell the driver where they wish to travel. The driver then designs a route “on the spot”, basing the route on where the passengers wish to go.
Region of Peel Transhelp — Later service on New Year’s Eve
Free rides after 7 p.m. Service until 2 a.m. with the last pick-up time at 1 a.m.
St. Catharines Transit Commission — Later service on New Year’s Eve
Free rides after 8 p.m.
You can ride SCTC buses along these routes until about 2 a.m.: 21 Confederation - Brock; 101 Martindale - Lakeshore; 102 Ontario St.; 104 Oakdale - Pen Centre; 106 Lake St., 108 Grantham - Port Weller; 109 Geneva St.; 112 Vine St.; 115 West St. Catharines; 116 Brock - Glenridge; 117 Bunting - Lakeshore; 118 Secord Woods; 120 Thorold - Pen Centre.
116 Brock - Glenridge
Last bus leaves the Downtown St. Catharines Terminal at 2:15 a.m.
117 Bunting - Lakeshore
Last bus leaves the Downtown St. Catharines Terminal at 2:15 a.m.
21 Confederation - Brock
Last northbound bus leaves Towpath Terminal at 1:30 a.m.
109 Geneva St.
Last bus leaves the Downtown St. Catharines Terminal at 1:45 a.m.
108 Grantham - Port Weller
Last bus leaves the Downtown St. Catharines Terminal at 1:45 a.m.
106 Lake St.
Last bus leaves the Downtown St. Catharines Terminal at 2:15 a.m.
101 Martindale - Lakeshore
Last bus leaves the Downtown St. Catharines Terminal at 1:45 a.m.
104 Oakdale - Pen Centre
Last bus leaves the Downtown St. Catharines Terminal at 2:15 a.m.
102 Ontario St.
Last bus leaves the Downtown St. Catharines Terminal at 1:45 a.m.
118 Secord Woods
Last bus leaves the Downtown St. Catharines Terminal at 1:45 a.m.
120 Thorold - Pen Centre
Last northbound bus leaves Towpath Terminal at 1:45 a.m. and ends its trip at Burleigh Hill Road and Glendale Avenue. Last southbound bus leaves the Pen Centre at 1:30 a.m.
112 Vine St.
Last bus leaves the Downtown St. Catharines Terminal at 2:15 a.m.
115 West St. Catharines
Last bus leaves the Downtown St. Catharines Terminal at 2:15 a.m.
Toronto Transit Commission — Later service on New Year’s Eve
Free rides after midnight, courtesy of the Toronto Entertainment Alliance, which includes Molson’s Coors Limited, the Liberty Entertainment Group, Humber College, the Keg Steakhouse and Bar and Diageo.
Later service until 4 a.m. along all bus, streetcar, subway and rapid transit routes with late-evening service. (The TTC uses the term “late evening” to refer to service along regular daytime routes after 10 p.m.) Buses and streetcars operating along the TTC’s network of overnight routes serve passengers from about 4 until 9 a.m. on Friday, January 1.
Last TTC rapid transit trains on December 31:
1 Yonge - University - Spadina subway
Last trains leave Union Station at 3:30 a.m. for Finch Station and 3:34 a.m. for Downsview Station.
2 Bloor - Danforth subway
Last trains leave Bloor-Yonge Station at 3:37 a.m. for Kipling Station and at 3:37 a.m. for Kennedy Station.
3 Scarborough rapid transit
Last train leaves Kennedy Station at 4:05 a.m. for McCowan Station.
4 Sheppard subway
Last train leaves Sheppard-Yonge Station at 3:58 a.m. for Don Mills Station.
The TTC also provides “early homebound” afternoon rush-hour service along most routes on December 31.
Wheel-Trans — Later service on New Year’s Eve
Free rides after midnight, courtesy of the Toronto Entertainment Alliance, which includes Molson’s Coors Limited, the Liberty Entertainment Group, Humber College, the Keg Steakhouse and Bar and Diageo.
Later service until 4 a.m.
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