Grand River Transit

[KevinL]

January launch was the word; cards should be ready before then, I would think.

My hopes may have ben too high. Cards will now be 'available to the general public early next year': https://www.therecord.com/news-story/798...-on-buses/

[timio]

And as an intermittent rider, I need to decide whether it's worth it to buy another strip of tickets or hold off in hopes that I won't need to ride that often before the fare card is available.

[KevinL]

I know that there will be an overlap period where tickets are still accepted; I would imagine you can also surrender tickets and get credit on your card balance.

[timc]

I thought GRT said tickets would be good for six months after the cards came into service I also think they said there would be no exchanges.

[Pheidippides]

Correct:
10. What will happen to paper tickets?
Paper tickets will be phased out after the EasyGO fare card is introduced. After GRT stops selling paper tickets, you will have six months to use up any tickets you have. The date by which tickets must be used will be widely publicized.

GRT paper tickets cannot be returned or exchanged.

[bgb_ca]

Correct:
10. What will happen to paper tickets?
Paper tickets will be phased out after the EasyGO fare card is introduced. After GRT stops selling paper tickets, you will have six months to use up any tickets you have. The date by which tickets must be used will be widely publicized.

GRT paper tickets cannot be returned or exchanged.

Which sucks that they won't transfer the value to an easy-go card. I have a few reduced tickets left that I have no use for now (Since I do not qualify for them, I had them left over from someone who was visiting that did qualify). Guess I will find some random person that I see using them and give them to them.

[Markster]

A number of years ago, they changed the design of the tickets. It was the same then. There was a grace period for transition, and then they said they would stop accepting the old ones. They did not offer replacement then either.

[KevinL]

Incidentally, if anyone has tickets they feel they won't be able to use please find a nearby community organization to donate them to. They can always find users in need that can take advantage of them.

[timio]

Noticed last night that the schedule for the first 204 EB has been changed as of Jan 8 to not allow for a "clean" connection with the 6:04 GO. Current schedule is Weber/Victoria at 5:59. New schedule is 6:04.

I anticipate not being able to make that train ever, which means arriving in Toronto at 9 instead of 8.

[urbd]

Noticed last night that the schedule for the first 204 EB has been changed as of Jan 8 to not allow for a "clean" connection with the 6:04 GO.  Current schedule is Weber/Victoria at 5:59.  New schedule is 6:04.  

I anticipate not being able to make that train ever, which means arriving in Toronto at 9 instead of 8.

you really should contact them about this... connecting to GO is (supposedly) a priority for GRT.

[bgb_ca]

If I remember today starts the sales of January passes. They still using the "legacy" passes for Jan? If so, then that is disappointing.

I know they have a few of the old busses with the old fare boxes that they are retiring the entire bus, but for those ones until they have the replacements running in a few weeks, why not have anyone with the fare card just use it as a pass?

[Markster]

I'm certain that even after the launch of EasyGo, that legacy passes will coexist with them for some months.

My guess is that it's actually a backend software issue that's delaying the launch.

[timio]

Noticed last night that the schedule for the first 204 EB has been changed as of Jan 8 to not allow for a "clean" connection with the 6:04 GO.  Current schedule is Weber/Victoria at 5:59.  New schedule is 6:04.  

I anticipate not being able to make that train ever, which means arriving in Toronto at 9 instead of 8.

you really should contact them about this... connecting to GO is (supposedly) a priority for GRT.

They've updated the schedule to arrive at 6:00.  Hopefully they can make this connection consistently.

[KevinL]

If I remember today starts the sales of January passes. They still using the "legacy" passes for Jan? If so, then that is disappointing.

To be honest launching it for January would be a bit impractical - to shift legacy pass users to a new product in the midst of the holidays wouldn't be the wisest choice.

Hopefully it is quite soon, of course.

[bgb_ca]

I've seen University students tapping their university cards on the readers on the bus today.