Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca jumped on a GO Transit bus to travel to Brantford Transit’s downtown terminal this morning.

They brought long-awaited good news to Brantford, announcing that the bus they arrived on was only the first of many to soon serve the terminal. GO Transit will start serving a new bus route, linking the city with McMaster University and Aldershot GO Station, this September.

GO buses will pick up and drop off passengers every hour Mondays to Fridays during rush hours and every two hours at all other times of the week. GO will operate 26 buses daily Mondays to Fridays along the new route and 18 daily Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

At McMaster, Brantford passengers can connect with other GO buses operating along the Highway 407 corridor to and from downtown Hamilton, Square One GO Bus Terminal and York University. They can also connect to Hamilton Street Railway buses to continue their trips to other parts of Hamilton. McMaster will also be the western terminal for the future Hamilton light rail transit line.

At Aldershot, passengers can link with frequent trains to and from Toronto along GO’s Lakeshore West line. The Hamilton Street Railway and Burlington Transit also serve GO’s terminal at the station.

According to local on-line media outlet, Brant News,

“Wynne noted Brantford’s population was 94,000 in the last census in 2011 and by 2020 is expected to reach 115,000.

“‘This growth shows how much talent, capital and culture Brantford is attracting, so now is the time to build on this growth so that this community continues to flourish,’ the premier said in announcing the new GO service.

“‘Your elected officials have made the case over and over that this kind of connectivity is necessary for Brantford to flourish,’ Wynne said.

“Brant MPP Dave Levac, who together with city officials has long lobbied Queen’s Park for GO service for Brantford, urged people to ‘get on GO.’

“‘If it’s not used, we have little likelihood of getting the train,’ [Brantford mayor Chris] Friel said.

Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca said the GO bus service to Brantford is estimated to cost $1.3 million a year to operate.

“‘We’re anticipating that we’ll grow the service over the next two years to carry about 1,000 (riders) over the course of a week. We expect that will be very sufficient, that will enable the service to be able to grow,’ said Bruce [McCuaig], president and CEO of Metrolinx.

“A GO bus like the kind Wynne arrived in for the announcement seats 57 people. If each bus were full each trip, they would carry 1,482 people daily or nearly 7,500 people a week.”