Clarington Transit

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Clarington Transit

Last updated September 5th, 2002

Transit service in the town of Bowmanville, population 28,000, commenced on Tuesday September 4th, 2002, with a free trial service being offered prior to that date. The name Clarington Transit was chosen, and a logo and paint scheme for the buses was developed by town staff. There are two routes operating from the downtown centre beside the Town Hall (just east of Scugog Street), with both routes operating in a clockwise direction. Tentatively referred to as the Northeast and Southwest loops, they leave the Town Hall stop at quarter to and quarter after the hour during peak periods (6:15 a.m.- 9:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m.), with hourly service in the midday off-peak and evenings 'til 9:45 p.m. Saturday service is hourly from 7:15 a.m. until 11:15 a.m., then again from 4:15 p.m. to 9:45 p.m., with half-hourly service inbetween.

GO Transit continues to provide east-west service through Bowmanville on King Street, with reasonably good connections to the two local routes from the downtown stop beside Town Hall. Previously, passengers connecting with GO buses had to walk from the north and south parts of the town. This ridership, along with the anticipated student ridership and senior citizen population, should provide the basis for a stable beginning for this new service.

The equipment consists of two completely refurbished Classics provided by Dupont Trolley of Quebec City. A third bus is in use as a back up vehicle and for a morning and afternoon school tripper. The back-up bus was to be a forty-foot transit bus provided by National Refurbishing on a loan basis, initially to gauge its need. All yellow school buses will be eliminated from the service areas with the commencement of this service, hence a concern about the volume of peak ridership, especially with strong residential growth continuing, particuarly in the north end.

The Oshawa Transit Commission will provide other back-up equipment on an as-needed basis and will operate all service on a three-year contract with the town, which owns the regular equipment. The first bus to wear Clarington Transit's new paint scheme was unveiled on Friday August 30th, 2002, at the official opening ceromonies for Ontario's newest transit system.

97A

S&N Diesel provided a Flxible numbered 97A and given a yellow and blue stripe along with the Clarington logos. It is on lease for the rest of 2002 and will be used primarily for the daily school tripper.

98A

A second Flxible has also been on property for the last week and a half of August. Sent down by Dupont Trolley when it wasn't sure that the Grand Rapids Classics would be ready in time, it was given the Clarington logos and numbered 98A as can be seen in this photo, and may or may not see service next week depending on whether both Classics are ready. After, it will be returned to Dupont Trolley. As such, this may turn out to be a rare photo.

Richard Oldfield photo

98A

The second unit to be used for the new service, ex-Grand Rapids Transit 152 will wear this partial Grand Rapids paint scheme. (A red line below the windows has been removed.) It will carry the Clarington Transit name on both sides plus the "Leading the Way" logo on the front, and will be numbered 98A. It is expected that this unit will be used for a few weeks until the first Clarington Classic is delivered.

Richard Oldfield photo

99A

Ex-Grand Rapids Transit 161 at the Oshawa Transit garage on Thursday August 29th, after being given the new livery. Originally the two stripes were to be connected, but the rivets on the body made this revised look the one used. Numbered 99A, this unit will be the primary bus when regular fare service begins the first week of September. It will be retained for two to three months until the second Clarington Classic is ready.

Richard Oldfield photo