44 new bus drivers expected to boost service on busiest transit routes in Mississauga

Dozens of new bus drivers are being hired as Mississauga’s public transit provider bumps up service on some of the city’s busiest routes.

A plan that will see 44 new drivers and 11 bus mechanics hired by MiWay in order to put more buses on Burnhamthorpe Road, Dundas Street and other major roads across Mississauga received city council approval on Wednesday.

In total, MiWay officials said, service on transit routes will be boosted by about 57,000 service hours and some 2,400 hours of additional maintenance and repair service to get buses back on the street faster.

With MiWay ridership back to and exceeding pre-pandemic numbers as of late 2023, transit officials said the latest service upgrades are needed in order to meet the growing demand.

And that demand has continued to rapidly grow so far this year as well, they added, noting there will soon be “more buses on the road more often and on the routes that need them the most” to ensure dependable, on-time service for riders.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in demand for transit services in our city and we’re increasing service to match,” said acting Mayor Matt Mahoney. “The addition of new drivers and maintenance workers will allow us to build the kind of capacity that our residents need and expect from MiWay. Through the Dedicated Gas Tax Fund for Public Transportation program, these improvements will do exactly what they’re designed to do and contribute greatly to improved quality of life for our residents.”

The Dedicated Gas Tax Fund provides municipalities with the means to support and improve transportation services.

The funding allocated to Mississauga will increase service and maintenance through the addition of the 44 new transit drivers and 11 new maintenance staff, the city said.

Those additions will help increase service with a focus on the following routes:

• Burnhamthorpe Express — Route 126
• University of Toronto Mississauga — routes 44 and 110
• Kipling Bus Terminal — Route 11 (Westwood Mall)

MiWay officials said service will also be improved by redirecting the transit fleet’s larger 60-foot buses (with greater passenger capacity) to busier corridors such as Mavis Road (Route 61) and McLaughlin Road (Route 66).

Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, MiWay ridership has surpassed 2019 levels by nearly 10 per cent as of late 2023, the city said in a news release. And the city continues to see significant growth in ridership in 2024.

“The ability for us to increase the service on some of the busiest routes in Mississauga means residents can get to their destinations quicker and with even more dependability,” said Eve Wiggins, the city’s director of transit. “We’ve listened to our riders and are taking action to meet their needs.”