Durham Transit service changes taking effect Tuesday, September 8 will add later trips, extend routes into growing neighbourhoods and restore extra weekday capacity for returning students.
Durham Region Transit says the network-wide adjustments are intended to improve reliability, fill service gaps and respond to growth. Riders should check the new timetable for their route before travelling because several departure times and routing patterns are changing.
Later service on major Durham routes
Routes 121, 216, 224, 902 and 917 will run until midnight seven days a week. Route 121 will also reach Pickering Station on weekends, creating a daily connection between the station and Pickering Parkway Terminal.
Weekend hours are expanding on Routes 409 and 419, with service operating consistently until 10 p.m. Route 405 will gain late departures from Oshawa Centre Terminal at 10:05 p.m. and 10:35 p.m. on weekdays, plus a 10:35 p.m. trip on Saturdays and Sundays.
DRT is also adding weekday Route 101 departures from Pickering Station at 1:56 p.m. and 2:26 p.m. Additional Route 920B peak-period trips will return to accommodate student demand.
New service in north Oshawa and Bowmanville
Route 423 will extend to Harmony Road and Nancy Diamond Boulevard on weekdays, bringing scheduled transit closer to new north Oshawa neighbourhoods. The initial stop will be on southbound Harmony Road at Dyas Boulevard. DRT says more stops will be considered as surrounding development advances.
In Bowmanville, eastbound Route 502C buses will use Church and Temperance streets. New midday service means southwest Bowmanville will have weekday trips throughout the day, generally from about 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Evening buses will operate in both directions after 7 p.m., while Saturday and Sunday service will continue until 10 p.m.
Route 505 will begin and end at Simpson and King rather than operating to Church and Temperance. A 2:54 p.m. departure from Simpson and King is being added for students.
Seasonal routes end after summer
The September update also ends seasonal service on Route 100 to the Pickering waterfront, Route 224C through the Ajax waterfront and Route 917Z to the Toronto Zoo and Rouge National Urban Park.
Schedules are being adjusted on Routes 302, 407, 410, 421, 900, 901, 916 and N1. Some Route 902 trip times will also change. Early and late Route 905F trips will connect Windfields Farm and Whitby Station.
What riders should check before September 8
Because the update affects both routing and departure times, regular riders should not assume their usual trip will operate on the same schedule. The most important changes for commuters include the new Route 423 extension, revised Bowmanville service and later evening departures. Students should also confirm school-day connections on Routes 505 and 920B.
Anyone making a timed connection to GO Transit or another DRT route should use the agency’s trip-planning tools with September 8 selected as the travel date. Printed or saved schedules from the summer service period may no longer be accurate.
DRT says 24-hour coverage remains available across the urban area from Pickering to Bowmanville through a combination of scheduled buses and On Demand service. Eligibility for an On Demand trip can be checked through the DRT On Demand app or by calling 311.
Sources: Durham Region Transit; Durham Post
