Guelph Transit

2021 City budget
Navigating our Future
Operating

Guelph Transit

What we do

Guelph Transit is in the business of moving people—residents, employees and visitors—across the city. Public transit is offered daily, including door-to-door mobility service.

There are three divisions within Guelph Transit: Business Services, Operations, and Planning and Scheduling.

The Business Services division oversees customer service, transit advertising, charters, special programs, and fare media, including the OnYourWay fare card. The Operations team (transit operators, supervisors, and mobility dispatchers) ensures the delivery of a safe and reliable transit service to customers. The Planning and Scheduling team is responsible for developing routes and schedules that meet the needs of Guelph’s citizens.

Why we do it

Guelph Transit supports the City’s Strategic Plan priority Navigating our Future by providing a service that is not only attractive and affordable, but a reasonable transportation option for everyone. This is achieved through efficient and effective planning that supports transportation connectivity to workplaces, schools, parks, shopping, and friends.Ongoing technology investments are also moving the service in a direction that will allow for greater efficiency—a positive outcome for transit customers as the service is further positioned to meet the ever-changing needs of Guelph’s citizens.

2021 to 2024+ initiatives

  • Continue to implement the recommendations of the Transit Business Service Review, including implementation of mircrotransit with the purchase of dynamic on-demand scheduling software.
  • Continue to work towards the completion of the holistic Transit Route Review, positioning the initiation of the Guelph Transit Master Plan in 2022, with the goal of designing transit accessible neighbourhoods and continuing the inter-regional transit discussion.
  • Complete implementation of the automated fare collection system, including a comprehensive transit fare strategy for system modernization, while seeking other revenue generating opportunities to support meeting revenue expectations.
  • Implement new route planning tool/app to receive real time bus arrival information, allowing for enhanced trip planning.
  • Implement digital signs at terminals.
  • Initiate electrification upgrades to current facility and plan for future electrification programs (including Guelph Transit Storage Facility and Bus Fleet Electrification and Expansion), to meet the 2035 initiative toward zero emissions for transit fleet.

Budget details

Operating budget—Revenues and expenses

2021 budget impacts

$1,089,570 net decrease budget in 2021 due to:

  • $1,269,420 decrease due to COVID-related service reductions primarily impacting compensation and purchased goods.
  • $159,600 decrease in internal charges for transit fleet maintenance costs mainly reflecting 3 year historical average.
  • $117,800 inflationary increases in compensation.
  • $127,150 increase for proposed Electronic Fare Management System Specialist partly offset by $60,000 reduction in over-time.
  • $94,500 increase in contractual rent commitments.

2022 to 2024 budget impacts

$13,737,625 net increase in operating budget in 2022 to 2024 related to Transit Growth Strategy including:

  • $10,600,000 increase in operating impact due to additional 16 new buses.
  • $1,771,350 increase due to reinstatement of COVID service reductions.
  • $844,300 increase in compensation due to addition of transit drivers as recommended in the transit service review.

Transit shelter/digital strategy

  • $500,000 operating impact from transit shelters/digital strategy

Budget request

BR 809—Transit Electronic Fare Management System Specialist, temporary contract position
Budget request lookup