Durham Region Transit

Durham Region Transit (DRT) is the regional public transit operator in Durham Region, Ontario, Canada, east of Toronto. Its headquarters are at 110 Westney Road South in Ajax, Ontario, and there are regional centres in Ajax, Whitby, and Oshawa. DRT was formed by the merger of Ajax/Pickering Transit, Whitby Transit, Oshawa Transit, and Clarington Transit on January 1, 2006.

Durham Region Transit

Bus 8172 waiting at the Ajax GO Station.
Founded	January 1, 2006
Headquarters	110 Westney Road South Ajax, Ontario L1S 2C8
Locale	Durham Region
Service area	Whitby, Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering, Clarington, Scugog, Brock, Toronto
Service type	Public transit
Routes	33
Stops	1500+
Fleet	121 (Conventional) 57 (BRT)
Daily ridership	67,000 (weekdays, Q4 2023)
Annual ridership	10,589,799 (2023)
Fuel type	Diesel, Hybrid
Operator	Durham Region
Website	www.durhamregiontransit.com

Overview

DRT's operation is overseen by the Durham Region Transit Commission, consisting of the members of Durham Region Council. In April 2007, the Durham Region Transit Executive Committee was created to take over day-to-day oversight responsibilities, with the full Commission meeting on a limited basis as needed. The executive committee consists of the Regional Chair and one councillor or mayor from each of the eight Durham Region municipalities as appointed by each municipality.

DRT is organized into three operating divisions:

• Raleigh serving the City of Oshawa, Municipality of Clarington, and the Town of Whitby
• Westney serving the Town of Ajax, City of Pickering and the Town of Whitby
• DRT On-Demand & Specialized Services provide service to rural and urban areas without bus service as well as for the disabled

Most of DRT's operational and maintenance services are provided by regional staff who are members of Unifor Local 222.

DRT service in the Town of Whitby was initially operated under the terms of an existing Whitby Transit contract with Trentway-Wagar. A new contract that combined Brock, Scugog & Uxbridge operations with Whitby operations was awarded to Trentway-Wagar in 2011. The drivers and maintenance staff were therefore employees of Trentway-Wagar. This contract ended on June 30, 2016. A new contract with Pacific Western Transit (PWT) was signed in 2017. As of December 31, 2023, this contract has ended and all transit service in Whitby has been transitioned to Durham Region Transit operators and staff.

Routes

On July 28, 2008, DRT introduced a unified route number system using a three digit format, with the first digit indicating the municipality:

• 100s: Pickering
• 200s: Ajax
• 300s: Whitby/Brooklin
• 400s: Oshawa/Courtice
• 500s: Clarington/Bowmanville
• 600s: Uxbridge
• 900s: Regional/DRT PULSE

All Durham Region Transit routes are wheelchair-accessible (). As of June 24, 2024, the following routes are in operation at DRT:

  Regular service

  PULSE service

  Blue Night Network

Route	Destinations				Division	Notes
100	NB	To Finch Ave / Liverpool Road via Pickering Parkway Terminal	SB	To Pickering Waterfront via Pickering Parkway Terminal	Westney	Seasonal summer & weekend service
101	Loop	To Bay Ridges	Loop	To Pickering GO Station	Westney	Rush-hour service
101A
112C	NB	To Burkholder Drive (Seaton) via Brock Road & Taunton Road	SB	To Pickering Parkway Terminal via Brock Road & Taunton Road	Westney
121	EB	To Pickering Parkway Terminal via Glenanna Road, Finch Ave, Strouds Lane & Whites Road	WB	To Pickering GO Station via Glenanna Road, Finch Ave, Strouds Lane & Whites Road	Westney
121A		To Pickering Parkway Terminal via Sunbird Trail		To Pickering GO Station via Sunbird Trail		Operates during rush-hour only
121B		To Pickering Parkway Terminal via Glenanna Road, Finch Ave, Strouds Lane & Whites Road		To West Shore Boulevard / Oklahoma Drive via Glenanna Road, Finch Ave, Strouds Lane & Whites Road		Weekend service only
216	NB	To Taunton Road via Harwood Ave	SB	To Ajax GO Station	Westney
216C		To Audley Recreation Centre via Harwood Ave & Williamson Drive		To Ajax GO Station via Harwood Ave & Williamson Drive
224	NB	To Taunton Road via Salem Road	SB	To Ajax GO Station	Westney
224C		To Taunton Road via Salem Road		To Ajax GO Station via Ajax Waterfront (Lake Driveway)		Summer service
227	Loop	To Ajax GO Station via Bayly Street, Audley Road, Dreyer Drive, and Westney Road	Loop	To Ajax GO Station via Bayly Street, Audley Road, Dreyer Drive, and Westney Road	Westney	Weekday rush hour service
227A						Weekday rush hour service, operates counterclockwise in the PM
301	NB	To Taunton Road via Annes Street, McQuay Boulevard & Country Lane	SB	To Whitby GO Station	Westney/Raleigh	Service does not operate between 08:30 and 14:30
302	NB	To North Campus Terminal via Brock Street/Baldwin Road & Carnwith Drive	SB	To Whitby GO Station	Westney/Raleigh
302B		To Anderson St & Duggan Ave via Brock Street/Baldwin Road & Carnwith Drive				Weekday rush hour service
319	NB	To Taunton Road via Garden Street & Anderson Road	SB	To Whitby GO Station	Westney/Raleigh	Service does not operate between 08:30 and 14:30
392	NB	To Whitby GO Station	SB	To Ontario Shores	Westney/Raleigh
403	NB	To Oshawa Centre Terminal via Oxford Street, Phillip Murray Avenue & Wentworth Street	WB	To Oshawa GO Station via Oxford Street, Phillip Murray Avenue & Wentworth Street	Raleigh
403B	NB	To Oshawa Centre Terminal	SB	To Philip Murray Avenue		Weekday only rush hour service
405	NB	To Delpark Homes Centre via Wilson Road & Adelaide Avenue	WB	To Oshawa Centre Terminal via Wilson Road & Adelaide Avenue	Raleigh
407	NB	To Delpark Homes via Ritson Road & Harmony Road	SB	To Farewell/Raleigh	Raleigh
407A				To Farewell/Raleigh via Colonel Sam Drive		Southbound-only, every hour
407C		To Delpark Homes via Ritson Road, Nonquon Road & Harmony Road		To Farewell/Raleigh		Northbound-only, every hour
409	NB	To Windfields Farm Drive via Garrard Road, Conlin Road & Simcoe Street	SB	To Oshawa Centre Terminal	Raleigh
409A				To Oshawa Centre Terminal via Rossland Road & Stevenson Road		Afternoon school tripper
409C		To Windfields Farm Drive via Nichol Avenue & Dundas Street		To Oshawa Centre Terminal		Hourly service
410	NB	To Harmony Terminal via Olive Ave, Harmony Road & Grandview Street	WB	To Oshawa Centre Terminal	Raleigh
411	EB	To Trulls Road (Courtice)	WB	To Oshawa Centre Terminal	Raleigh	Weekend service only
411B		To Farewell/Raleigh				Late night, weekend service only
419	EB	To Harmony Terminal via Britannia Ave, Conlin Road & Grandview Street	WB	To Windfields Farm Drive/Simcoe Street	Raleigh
421	EB	To Trulls Road	WB	To Oshawa GO Station	Raleigh
421A		To Trulls Road via Colonel Sam Drive & Oshawa Centre Terminal		To Oshawa GO Station via Oshawa Centre Terminal
421C		To Trulls Road via Colonel Sam Drive & Avondale Road				Afternoon school trippers
423	NB	To Harmony Terminal via Olive Ave, Harmony Road & Townline Road	WB	To Oshawa Centre Terminal	Raleigh
502	EB	To Simpson Avenue (Lakeridge Health Bowmanville)	WB	To Prince William Boulevard	Raleigh	Eastbound service does not operate between 9:00 and 13:30
507	NB	To Orono via Newcastle	SB	To Simpson Avenue (Lakeridge Health Bowmanville)	Raleigh	Replaces On-Demand service during peak hours
605	EB	To Reach Street/Coral Creek Crescent via Railway & Albert Street	SB	To Toronto Street/Welwood Drive via Railway & Albert Street	Raleigh/Westney
900	EB	To Downtown Oshawa via Highway 2	WB	To Scarborough (U of T Scarborough) via Highway 2 & Ellesmere Road	Raleigh
900B		To Downtown Oshawa via Highway 2		To Pickering Parkway Terminal via Highway 2
901A	NB	To North Campus Terminal via Simcoe Street	SB	To Lakeview Park	Raleigh	Operates northbound as 901B to North Campus Terminal Late-night service extended north to Windfields Farm after 23:00
901C				To Oshawa Centre Terminal
902	EB	To Bowmanville (Lakeridge Health Bowmanville)	WB	To Oshawa GO Station via Oshawa Centre Terminal	Raleigh
902B		To Trulls Road (Courtice)
905A	NB	To Windfields Farm Drive/Simcoe Street via Thickson Road, Dryden Boulevard, Taunton Road & Simcoe Street	SB	To Whitby GO Station	Raleigh/Westney
905C		To Uxbridge via Port Perry				Operates every 1–2 hours
915	EB	To Harmony Road/Conlin Road via Westney Road, Taunton Road & Townline Road	WB	To Ajax GO Station	Raleigh/Westney
916	EB	To Harmony Road/Conlin Road via Brock Road, Rossland Road & Harmony Road	WB	To Pickering Parkway Terminal
917	EB	To Oshawa Centre Terminal	WB	To Pickering Parkway Terminal via Bayly Street, Whitby GO Station & Ajax GO Station	Raleigh/Westney	Late-night trips operate as 917B between Pickering Parkway & Ajax GO
917Z				To Toronto Zoo		Seasonal summer & weekend service
920	EB	To Harmony Terminal	WB	To Scarborough Centre Station	Raleigh	Weekday service only Drop-off located at Town Centre Court, pick-up inside Scarborough Centre Station
921		To Harmony Terminal via Brock Road & Taunton Road		To Scarborough Centre Station via Brock Road & Taunton Road		Limited express service, during early morning and afternoon peak only Runs express between Brock Road and Conlin Road Service suspended for the summer
N1	EB	To Harmony Road/Conlin Road via Highway 2 & Harmony Road	WB	To Scarborough (U of T Scarborough) via Highway 2 & Ellesmere Road	Raleigh	Night bus routes, from 12-5AM Replaces PULSE 900, 901
N2	NB	To Windfield Farms via Simcoe Street & North Campus Terminal	SB	To Bloor Street via Park Road & Wentworth Street

Service changes

In its first year of operation in 2006, DRT implemented a number of service changes:

• A common fare across Durham Region including transfer privileges
• Access to GO Transit bus services operating within Durham Region for a standard DRT fare or transfer
• Service for the northern communities of Port Perry, Brock, and Uxbridge in the form of community buses operating on specific days of the week
• Implementation of Fixed-route evening/Sunday service in Ajax and Pickering replacing the former "dial-a-bus" service.
• Service level improvements on several routes
• The introduction of several new or extended routes, including:
  • Rush-hour Service along Brock Street/Baldwin Street (Highway 12) to Brooklin
  • Rush-hour Service along Bloor Street and Victoria Street (Durham Regional Road 22) from Durham College Oshawa GO to Whitby GO Train Stations
  • Service on Audley Road in Ajax, both south of Bayly Street and north of Kingston Road
  • Service along Townline Road in eastern Oshawa and Courtice
  • Weekend service to Whitby and Durham College Oshawa GO Transit stations

In 2007, the following new services were introduced:

• 915 Taunton: grid service from Pickering GO Station via Bayly, Westney, Taunton and Simcoe to Durham College/Ontario Tech University
• 916 Rossland : grid service from Ajax GO Station via Westney, Bayly, Harwood, Rossland, Grandview, Taunton, Ritson, Conlin and Simcoe
• 302 Brock/Brooklin: increased service to Brooklin
• 20 Westney and 40 Applecroft, and elimination of 23 Nottingham as a separate route
• 504 Orono/Newcastle: revised to include Newcastle
• 950 Uxbridge/Port Perry/Ontario Tech University: a grid weekday route from Uxbridge and Port Perry to Durham College/Ontario Tech University
• replacement of Whitby dial a ride and shuttle bus service from the GO station with fixed routes

As a consequence of an operational budget shortfall, DRT implemented service cutbacks in December 2007 and March 2008, including cancellation of midday services, reduction in service hours and frequencies, and elimination of its 10 Ajax route.

Whitby Autonomous Vehicle Electric shuttle

The Whitby Autonomous Vehicle Electric (WAVE) shuttle was an experimental bus service using autonomous vehicles; as of January 2022, WAVE is no longer in operation. WAVE began service on November 8, 2021, using small, automated, driverless, electric vehicles. WAVE operated over a 6 km (3.7 mi) circuit beginning and ending at Whitby GO Station and travelling through the Port Whitby neighbourhood in south Whitby. For safety reasons, an attendant was on board the vehicle during the pilot phase of the project. The vehicle had a maximum speed of 20 km/h (12 mph). The service operated as Durham Region Transit route 300 between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm on weekdays and between 7 am and 7 pm on weekends. The project partners included Metrolinx, Durham Region Transit and the City of Whitby.

The service was suspended after an accident on December 16, 2021, that injured the attendant riding on the autonomous vehicle. At the time of the accident, the attendant was operating the vehicle in manual mode which suppressed the safety features of autonomous mode. The Ontario Ministry of Transport suspended the operating licence for the service after the accident. The service was cancelled after Local Motors, the vehicle supplier, went out of business on January 14, 2022.

DRT Pulse

DRT Pulse

Parent	Durham Region Transit
Founded	June 29, 2013
Locale	Durham Region
Service area	Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Toronto (Scarborough)
Service type	bus rapid transit
Routes	4 (900, 901, 915, 916)
Destinations	Downtown Oshawa University of Toronto Scarborough Ontario Tech University
Fleet	57 (New Flyer Xcelsior, Nova Bus LFS)
Fuel type	Diesel

See also: Durham–Scarborough bus rapid transit

DRT Pulse is the brand name for bus rapid transit service operating in Durham Region and Scarborough. There are four DRT Pulse routes:

• 900 runs east–west along Highway 2 in Durham Region and along Ellesmere Avenue in Scarborough between Downtown Oshawa and the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. Connections to Toronto Transit Commission services are available at U of T Scarborough and connections to GO Transit are available at various points along the line. The route partially operates in dedicated bus lanes.
• 901 runs north–south along Simcoe Street between Lakeview Park to Windfield Farms via the OTU/Durham College North Campus. The route operates in mixed traffic.
• 915 runs east–west along Taunton Road & Westney Road between Ajax GO Station and Harmony Road/Conlin Road. The route operates in mixed traffic. Connections to GO Transit are available at Ajax GO.
• 916 runs east–west along Rossland Road & Harmony Road between Pickering Parkway Terminal and Harmony Road/Conlin Road. Connections to GO Transit are available at Pickering Parkway.

Route 900, the first phase of DRT Pulse, began service June 29, 2013, operating along the Highway 2 corridor between Downtown Oshawa and the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. The new service used 26 Xcelsior buses built by New Flyer Industries; the buses were painted in the orange and green DRT Pulse colours. Operating seven days per week, route 900 partly replaced GO Transit buses in the area. The buses made limited stops, but initially operated entirely in mixed traffic. DRT Pulse was complemented by improved DRT and GO Transit service along Taunton Road, Rossland Road, and Bayly/Bloor/Victoria Streets.

By 2015, Durham Region had installed reserved lanes on Kingston Road (Highway 2) in Ajax for DRT Pulse and GO Transit buses. These cube-side lanes were delimited by painted markings on the road surface and diamond signs over the lanes.

In September 2020, articulated buses, branded for DRT Pulse, were introduced on route 900. On September 28, 2020, DRT Pulse service started along Simcoe Street as route 901. In January 2022, DRT Pulse service started along Taunton and Rossland Roads using DRT Pulse-branded vehicles.

Metrolinx plans to build the Durham–Scarborough BRT that would place most of route 900 in dedicated lanes, with the majority of the route being in the centre median strip of the roadway. Additional lanes will be added in certain sections to accommodate traffic levels, while some areas will see reduced traffic lanes or a complete closure to traffic.

Fares

DRT fares can be paid by cash, contactless payment (credit/debit), Presto cards or Presto E-Tickets. For customers paying a single ride fare by cash or PRESTO, the transfer is valid for unlimited travel on any DRT bus route in any direction for up to 2 hours from the time of issue. A monthly DRT bus pass provides unlimited travel across the entire DRT bus network for the entire month selected. Children ages 0 to 12 can travel fare free on DRT (similar to the program already in place on neighboring GO Transit and Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) services).

DRT provides two pass systems, both only available with the use of a PRESTO card. The Y-10 Youth Monthly Pass is available for monthly purchase for youth customers (13–19). It must be purchased every month during the school year (September–June) to receive the $18.10 discount. Otherwise, the Y-10 Pass costs $96.50 for one month.

DRT also has a Universal Transit Pass (U-Pass) which provides full-time post-secondary students at participating colleges and universities unlimited travel on the DRT network.

The following institutions participate in DRT's U-Pass program:

• Durham College
• Trent University - Durham GTA
• Ontario Tech University

As of July 1, 2023, the standard DRT fare structure is as follows:

Fare type	Adult	Youth (13–19)	Senior (65+)	Child (12 and under)
Cash/Debit/Credit	$4.60	$4.60	$3.38	Free
PRESTO	$3.35	$3.00	$2.20	Free
GO Transit Co-Fare (transferring to and from DRT & GO)	Free	Free	Free	Free
Y10 Monthly Pass	N/A	$78.40	N/A	N/A
DRT U-Pass	$150, covered in tuition fees for students at participating post-secondary institutions

Facilities

DRT uses the following maintenance and operational facilities:

Raleigh Division:

Address: 710 Raleigh Avenue, Oshawa

Coordinates: 43°52′57″N 78°49′43″W

Opened: 1965 (original) 1980 (GO Transit expansion)

Facilities: bus storage, maintenance and servicing for DRT (GO Transit no longer operates out of this location as of 2012-13)

Westney Division:

Address: 110 Westney Road South, Ajax

Coordinates: 43°50′43″N 79°02′28″W

Opened: 1988

Facilities: bus storage, maintenance and repairs

Thornton Division:

Address: 2400 Thornton Road North, Oshawa

Coordinates: 43°57′13″N 78°55′24″W

Opened: Scheduled for 2026

Facilities: bus storage, maintenance and repairs

History

DRT was formed in January 2006 through an amalgamation of existing municipal transit systems in Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, and Clarington (Bowmanville). The systems were transferred to the regional government along with the legal authority to operate public transit in the local municipalities. This required approval by both Durham Region Council as well as four out of eight local municipal councils consisting of at least 50% of the population of the Region. The approval process took several years, with final approval for the amalgamation given by Durham Region Council on February 9, 2005. The remainder of 2005 was spent preparing for the merger. DRT assumed its responsibilities and inherited the equipment and facilities of its predecessor systems effective January 1, 2006.

On October 5, 2006, members of Local 222 began a legal strike action against DRT. All services were suspended other than those operated by Trentway-Wagar in Whitby. Limited specialized service continued via the use of contracted taxis. On October 29, a tentative settlement was announced, and full service resumed on November 3.

Previous systems

Public transit service in Durham Region has a long history prior to the creation of DRT, dating back to the 19th century. The list below shows predecessor transit systems in each municipality:

Pickering

• Pickering Transit (1970s-2001)
• Ajax Pickering Transit Authority (2001–2005)

Ajax

• Charterways Transportation Limited (1969–1973)
• Ajax Transit (1973–2001)
• Ajax Pickering Transit Authority (2001–2005)

Whitby

• Burley Bus Lines (1960–1970)
• Charterways Transportation Limited - 8 week trial in 1976
• Whitby Transit (1980–2005)
• Specialized Service provided by Handi-Transit from 1974 to 2005

Oshawa

• Oshawa Railway Company (operated by Canadian National Railway - 1895–1959)
• Queen Bus Lines 1920s
• Oshawa Transit (1960–2005)
• Specialized Service provided by Handi-Transit from 1974 to 2005

Clarington

• Clarington Transit (2002–2005)
• Specialized Service provided by Handi-Transit from 1974 to 2005

See also

• Toronto Transit Commission
• GO Transit

References

• Regional Transit Business Case
• Durham Region's Transit Improvement Plan

External links

• Durham Region Transit
• TT Report - Meet Olli! (Whitby Wave) on YouTube published November 11, 2021