Brampton to begin new BRT service to Toronto Pearson Airport

March 9, 2020

The Züm route is expected to be extended later in 2020 and will provide a direct connection between the city and the second-largest employment area in Canada.

Mischa Wanek-Libman

A Zum bus travels in front of Brampton's City Hall.

Residents in the city of Brampton, Ontario, Canada can expect to see a new direct route to Toronto Pearson International Airport with the extension of the 505 Züm Bovaird route.

Stakeholders say the new route will improve regional connectivity, offer more convenience for residents who work at or travel from Toronto Pearson and further strengthen Brampton’s connections to the Innovation Corridor.

“Today’s announcement will allow both passengers and employees to more easily access Toronto Pearson from Brampton. To efficiently connect people and businesses to three-quarters of the world’s economies, we need strong local ground connections. This service strengthens Brampton’s access to the airport and to the world,” said Scott Collier, vice president, Customer and Terminal Services for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA).

GTAA says it welcomes the new route, as research has shown there are significant benefits to improving direct bus connections between Brampton and the airport.

Toronto Pearson anchors the Airport Employment Zone (AEZ), which is the second-largest employment area in Canada and includes areas of Brampton, Mississauga and Etobicoke. The AEZ contains more than 300,000 jobs, including 10,000 Brampton residents who are employed at the airport. Of those residents, 13 percent take public transit to work and with the 505 Züm Bovaird extension, the number of Brampton-based airport employees who utilize public transit could double.

“As part of the Innovation Corridor and the top contributor to the airport’s workforce, we are pleased to support our region’s economic growth and ease Brampton residents’ access to job opportunities. The 2020 Budget makes important investments that are putting the community first,” said Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown.

The bus rapid transit extension was approved as part of the city’s 2020 budget, which included a 1 percent levy to be pay for transit enhancements. The Route 505 Züm Bovaird extension will cost C$1.75 million (US$1.28 million), of which C$900,000 (US$658,440) will be city funded, with the remainder coming from revenue.

At Toronto Pearson, Brampton transit users can connect with other regional transportation networks including the UP Express, six Toronto Transit Commission routes, four MiWay routes, two GO Transit routes and other regional services such as Greyhound.

GTAA is also working with Metrolinx to study transit connections to the airport and future Regional Transit and Passenger Center and signed a cost-sharing agreement in January 2020.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.