Do you take HSR? Schedule Changes & Bus Tracker

[Ciel21]

GO Transit buses and ticket counters at GO Stations no longer take cash (don't know the date of the change). You can use cash at the fare vending machines (I assume all machines now take the newer $10 bills but if not, make sure you have other bills or coins on hand to ensure sufficient fare payment).
https://www.gotransit.com/en/trip-planning/fares

Since banks can charge businesses for deposits, the change likely makes banking/coin handling less necessary. Bus drivers must be thrilled not to have to dispense change.

Can use a Presto card if you can load it online or in advance (ie. Shoppers Drug Mart).

[Ciel21]

HSR-no link yet for summer service changes that tend to happen in late June.
Detours and service updates: https://www.hamilton.ca/hsr-bus-sche...ervice-updates

Online classes for persons with disabilities to learn how to take the HSR buses safely. For 16+ year olds:
https://twitter.com/salmhamilton1/st...01109269614594

[Ciel21]

Partial schedules for Fall 2021 are showing the time changes, but not the route maps. The changes will take effect on Sunday Sept 6.
https://www.hamilton.ca/hsr-bus-sche...-bus-schedules

16-Ancaster is getting some time changes in the morning.

[Ciel21]

HSR Presto bus fares went up by 5 cents today! Glad I have a bit extra on my card to ensure my two pre-increase fares can be used!
https://www.hamilton.ca/hsr-bus-sche...-and-photo-ids

Only a few fall bus timetables are posted for Sept 5 changes. 4 routes have maps for 11, 20,27, 44. 20 & 27 will have routing changes in area of new Amazon facility. 44 Rymal will do a loop in Heritage Green area both ways everyday so longer commute either end but it helps any secondary school students needing busing to nearby Bishop Ryan secondary school.

I'm waiting for word about whether Saturday service is gone on 16-Ancaster as no Saturday times are on the fall schedule.

[Ciel21]

HSR is proceeding with a free fare pilot program for children 6-12 yr of age as of Nov. 1
If they have PRESTO cards, they can ride free on the buses until April 2023. There are limits to the hours of service the children can use the free fares for!

HSR Fare Incentives for Ridership Recovery

HSR is introducing new fare incentives to ensure transit remains affordable during this challenging time and encourage more residents to use transit. Effective November 1, 2021:

• Children aged 6-12 will ride free with a PRESTO card as part of a pilot project until April 30, 2023.
• The PRESTO loyalty program will enable customers to earn free fare faster until December 31, 2022. Customers will enjoy free fare after 8 rides per week instead of 11.
• To encourage the use of the new HSR myRide on-demand transit service, customers in Waterdown will enjoy free rides on weekdays in November and December from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. when using PRESTO.

Wonder how many parents will pay the $6 card fee to get each eligible child a PRESTO card?

[Linda Evans]

one thing ive noticed in my area....not sure if its city wide...they removed the bus shedules at all bus stops. NOT EVERYONE has a cell phone especially seniors & its a PITA when the next bus is in 40mins.

rant over.

[Ciel21]

Downtown Hamilton has some old posted timetables at 5-Delaware and other stops but they may have been removed by now. Also removed, at least 3 bus stops in Ancaster have had their bus furniture/recycling/garbage removed around August and bus pads have not been fixed nor have replacement fixtures been installed. Here we are in November and it's going to be a challenge waiting without a shelter or seats. I'll send HSR a tweet about that matter soon.

At the end of August, only some fall bus schedules were partially or fully posted online with timetables and not necessarily maps. Still through September, timetables were still not all updated (seems to be a real problem for some unexplained reason for the long delay-I often start asking a week before timetable change if schedules are getting posted). This year has been a real issue in terms of finding posted schedules and printing them off (on a Mac, the paper sizing and timetable sizing are fighting a lot for me). I have only printed maybe 4 timetables and rely on older ones for a general idea of when a bus might come by. A smartphone with a data plan seems like a good idea for transit since 2020 when paper schedules were removed from the bus terminal downtown and never returned.

Since I only use the buses maybe 2-3 times per month, if I take two regular routes, I look up times online and go.

[Ciel21]

Hamilton Street Railway has posted Winter Bus News information without clearly stating that changes take effect say on Sunday Dec 26 (as Christmas falls on Saturday this year). Did not see pdf file, just a page, and there was no link visible from City of Hamilton home page. The news was a random discovery this week.

https://www.hamilton.ca/hsr-bus-sche...g-hsr/bus-news

[Ciel21]

The Dec.26 schedules and maps for affected HSR routes are available online now:
https://www.hamilton.ca/hsr-bus-sche...-bus-schedules

If you were hoping to print some bus schedules at a public library branch, HPL branches are closed for 4 days (Fri to Monday).

Customers using the Presto E-ticket app are asked to update their apps before Dec. 27-see @HSR Twitter account

As of Dec. 22, HSR buses may have windows open for increased ventilation. Customers are expected to dress warmly.

[Ciel21]

Free local bus rides when using Presto cards to connect to Go Transit trains or buses took effect this MOnday in many GTHA cities.
https://www.gotransit.com/en/blog/sa...scounts#cofare

The GO E-ticket does not qualify for this offer.

[Ciel21]

one thing ive noticed in my area....not sure if its city wide...they removed the bus shedules at all bus stops. NOT EVERYONE has a cell phone especially seniors & its a PITA when the next bus is in 40mins.

rant over.

I still have not been printing off all of the revised Jan 23 schedules. While two page schedules print fine, I cannot make the 5_Delaware's long page 2 of the pdf print in a one page format without losing ability to read the tiniest print. I miss the printed HSR schedules from the GO Station. Am thankful that the library had kept the 10 black and white copies free print offer going-think we might see it go back to the 2 pages free standard offer soon.

[Ciel21]

44-Rymal bus is detouring along Wilson St W while a section of Garner Rd W is closed for infrastructure work. I have not gone down to see how the work is progressing.
Upside of detour-it's much easier to wait at the Wilson St W stops than on a rocky sloped gravel shoulder on Garner near 70kph traffic!

Civic Holiday-August 1. HSR buses will operate on Sunday service schedules.

Some bus stop numbers are changing at stops for two or more bus routes. https://www.hamilton.ca/hsr-bus-sche...g-hsr/bus-news

HSR adult cash fare is going up 5 cents on Sept. 1.

[Ciel21]

Winter issue of the HSR Bus News was posted on Dec. 7. Winter bus schedules take effect on Jan. 1.
Bus News Winter 2023 | City of Hamilton

It looks like the free trips after 8 paid PRESTO trips in one week promotion will continue for 3 months after Dec. 31.

• Enjoy free fare after 8 paid trips until March 31, 2023 with HSR’s enhanced PRESTO loyalty rewards.

In case you use Burlington Transit, take note of the Aldershot GO station bus stop closures that have been in effect for over a month:
Service to Aldershot GO Station - City of Burlington

Burlington Transit holiday hours: Burlington Transit Holiday hours, 2022/23 - City of Burlington

[Ciel21]

Burlington Transit has a new ride guide that takes effect this Friday, April 9, 2023: https://www.burlington.ca/en/transit...-and-maps.aspx

Hamilton Street Railway-no changes yet to schedules.

[Linda Evans]

Im SOO PISSED....waited 30 mins for the mohawk on barton/kenilworth only to have it pass right by me...WTH! its not like i was hidden in the shelter i was standing at the stop with a young guy, he was more pissed than me. i left a message on the facebook page but not sure where i can email them ? any suggestions?

ok.so i emailed them & they said...opps, sorry the driver was NEW & still learning. honestly....if it was the king or barton bus i wouldnt care but this was the mohawk which comes every 45 mins. now i feel stupid for complaining.