York Region Transit marks quarter-century of keeping people moving

York Region Transit celebrated a milestone anniversary last week as it marked 25 years of keeping the Region moving.

The month-long celebration of the local transit service began Thursday, March 5, following a meeting of Regional Council, with the unveiling of a specially-wrapped YRT bus and the launch of a new display of historic memorabilia and transit-related artefacts at the Regional Headquarters on Yonge Street.

The party continued Saturday morning with a family open house at its Newmarket Operations and Maintenance Facility.

If you missed it, celebrations will continue with an open house on Saturday, March 21, at their Richmond Hill facility located at 55 Orlando Avenue.

“YRT was established in 2001, merging the transit systems of the Towns of Aurora and Newmarket, and Cities of Markham, Vaughan, and Richmond Hill to create a unified service across the Region,” said the Regional Municipality of York in a statement. “Today, YRT provides York Region with a comprehensive family of services consisting of Viva rapid transit, Local, Express, and School Special routes, as well as On-Request and door-to-door Paratransit services. The vast network provides transit services to 1.29 million residents over a large geographic area, including urban, suburban, and rural communities.

“Since amalgamation in 2001, YRT ridership has increased more than 300 per cent from 7.7 million to 24.7 million in 2024. YRT's progress over the past 25 years is an achievement made possible through the support of York Regional Council, together with the work of staff, community partners, and transit users.”

Celebrations of the YRT's milestone will continue in various ways beyond March.

The archival display will be available at Regional Headquarters through April 30 and, in the meantime, York Region Transit is hoping to hear from you.

“As we celebrate this milestone, we'd love to hear the moments that made transit meaningful to you, whether it was your first bus ride as a child, a quiet moment on your daily commute, or a pleasantly unexpected encounter that left a lasting impression,” they say.

Anyone who wants to share their story are invited to do so in writing or in a video submission for inclusion on their Memory Wall located at yrt.ca/Celebrate25 ¹.

Participants will be entered into a monthly random draw to win one of nine YRT Prize Packs, which includes an anniversary jersey, a $25 Presto card, a card holder, and more.

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

1. https://www.yrt.ca/en/news/celebrate-yrt-s-25th-an niversary-with-us.aspx