Get On The Right Bus, Gus, Make A Route Plan, Stan

Second update: I think I fixed all my gaps, errors and booboos. Am working on figuring out where the community bus fits into this mish mash o goodness. Also. Guelph Transit said they'll be putting up a text version of the bus layout in the square and UC soon. When I see it lives, you know I'll be linking to it.

Update: I've noticed some significant gaps in the info about all these new bus routes. I'm working on filling them. But in the meantime, sorry. As soon as I know the answers, I'll post them.

Steve talked about Guelph Transit's crappy time to change the bus routes. Well, I went down to Old Quebec Street Mall to get a few things straight in my head to hopefully lessen the initial grief of dealing with this whole bus system being turned on its head mid winter thing. I got some really awesome info out of one of the employees down there, so figured I'd pass it on. Probably the sightlings won't care much about this, but I'm hoping it might help a few blind folks. And sadly nobody outside of Guelph will give a flying crap about this. Oh well, I don't care. Ready to get confused? Ok, let's go!

I'm going to go around the square and name off the buses that will be at each intersection. I'll also name the old buses that used to park on that corner so you know what side I'm talking about.

Layout of New Buses In The Square

Corner of Square	Buses From Old System	Buses from New System
RBC corner	54, 10, 3 (I think)	4 York, 14 Grange, 21 Hanlon Industrial
If Shoes	9, 6 (I think), 51	9 West End Community Centre, 8 Stone Road Mall
BMO corner	22, 23, 24	3A East Loop Clockwise, 10 Imperial, 11 Willow West
around the corner, same side of the street, now on Wyndham Street	52, 4	2A West Loop Clockwise, 3B East Loop Counterclockwise
Scotia Bank corner	61	20 Northwest Industrial
CIBC corner	1, 7, 8	2B West Loop Counterclockwise, 12 General Hospital, 13 Victoria Road Recreation Centre

Confused yet? I sure was. Now, here's a big warning. the new no. 9 is not the old no. 9. the old no. 9 was 9 Stone Road Mall. Now the new 9 is the 9 West End Community Centre. So, do not think that a number means you're getting on the same route...unless you're getting on the 4 York that is. I can't remember all the names of the new routes, but I was able to jot down the numbers. There are some that I remember, such as no. 8 goes to Stone Road Mall, no. 9 is West end and no. 12 is the Guelph General, but the rest you'll have to get from either the website or calling Guelph Transit. Put 822-1811 in your speed dial. Learn it, love it, know it, dial it!

Now, to make things extra interesting, the new routes have two places that are considered transfer hubs: the usual square, and the University Centre loop. So some buses just don't bother going downtown. Also, because Guelph is extra fun, as you know, when a route ends, the bus that did that route doesn't just start doing it again. It becomes another bus route. So the lady who I spoke to helpfully gave me what all the buses turn into. If you're seeing route numbers I didn't mention before, that's because they're those groovy buses that consider the UC to be their main transfer point. Oh ain't this a bag of fun? Alrighty, let's go. Note: I'll only name the buses I haven't previously named.

All the bus routes, and What They Turn Into at route's End

is	becomes
4	11
11	4
12	8
8	12
9	13
13	9
10	14
14	10
1A College Edinburgh Clockwise	2A
2A	1A College Edinburgh Clockwise
1B College Edinburgh Counterclockwise	6 Harvard Ironwood
6 Harvard Ironwood	3B
3B	1B College Edinburgh Counterclockwise
5 South Gordon	3A
3A	5 South Gordon
7 Kortright Downey	2B
2B	7 Kortright Downey
20	20
21	21

Now, everybody, get up, shake your head wildly in an attempt to prevent your brain from short circuiting. Aaa, doesn't that feel better?

Some routes to popular destinations: As I said, 8 will take you to Stone Road Mall, 9 will take you to West End Community Centre, 12 will take you to Guelph General. Also, 3A will take you into St. Joe's and 3B will take you from St. Joe's back downtown. Warning! If you get on 3A from St. Joe's, it does not go downtown. It does go up to Walmart, and eventually ends I believe at the University Centre where it turns into the 5. Remember, did I mention a 5 pulling in downtown? I sure as hell didn't. Especially watch out if you took a route ending in A somewhere. Chances are, to return, you want the one ending in B.

It is extremely important to make sure you get on the right bus, as lots of the routes are very long, and some of them won't end up downtown again! So, ask lots o questions to whoever will answer them.

Big, actually huge thanks go out to Ryan at Guelph Transit who put up with me badgering the royal bejeebers out of her for an hour. I didn't mean to do that, but well, when you turn a transit system on its head, I'm gonna have lots and lots of questions. No thanks go out to her coworker who could only manage to whip maps/brochures at the heads of all who approached the info booth, and said a lot of "oh, good luck with that." when asked questions. Listen, lady, "good luck with that" will not get me unlost when I'm dumped unexpectedly at the corner of Where The Hell Am I Street and Middle of Nowhere Avenue. "Good luck with that" will not help restore my faith that I will be able to navigate this new system. I came here for help, not "good luck with that." Luckily Ryan was more than awesome, and made up for the useless. Also, huge thanks go out to whoever was tasked with manning the Guelph Transit Twitter on New Years Day. They fielded about six zillion questions from yours truly, and never lost it.

Understand that this is just what I jotted down from my talk with the helpful Guelph Transit lady. I have tried to make this as error free as possible, but please, do not let me lead you astray. Check and double check to avoid getting yourself lost in the cold/snow. Also, several stops have been removed, so if you're going to a location for the first time, please, for the love of Pete, make sure the stop you used to use still exists.

Good luck with this crazy new system. I have a feeling there will be quite a few lost/frustrated souls about in our fine city over the next while, myself included.