As a life-long Guelphite, I truly understand the pains of the Guelph Transit system—and I have understood these pains during each of the approximately 10 transit reforms and overhauls I have seen. During my time at the University of Guelph, however, I like to think that I’ve finally gotten a handle on the system. Here are some tips and tricks to help make your transition into Guelph Transit a bit smoother.
Your bus sticker is your best friend
Do not lose your bus sticker. Do not try to use an expired bus sticker. Do not try to flash your card quickly in hopes that the driver will not see that you have lost or let your sticker expire. Do not try to shuffle in behind other students without showing your card. Respect the bus drivers, and don’t do things that might make them angry, because this is how you end up walking or cabbing to school, which is both exhausting and expensive.
When you get the email saying that your bus pass is ready to be picked up, go pick it up. Don’t procrastinate. The average Guelph citizen pays $75 a month for their bus pass, and you pay $5 more than this (included in your tuition) for an entire year. So, make sure that sticker is secure and treat it like the precious object that it is. Put some tape over the sticker if you’re really concerned.
Know your home base(s)
The best way to make transportation a breeze is to know, in advance, which bus you need to take and where it stops. This is much easier today, when most people coming to school have unlimited phone data and the Google Maps app, than it was when I started school and printed my bus directions out like a barbarian.
If you’re taking the bus from the university, the set-up actually makes a lot of sense. The bus stops are organized in increasing numerical order, with the 1A and B closest to the UC. These buses come every 20 minutes during peak service hours, and every half-an-hour for the rest of the service time.
If you’re taking the bus from downtown, the set-up is less clear. If Google Maps doesn’t know, you can check on the Guelph Transit website to see which platform your bus uses. The numbering and ordering seems to be somewhat arbitrary downtown, but the bus terminal is still small enough that you can find your bus with time to spare.
Get to know the city
One day, when you have a few extra hours to spare, get on the wrong bus. Take the bus that doesn’t go straight downtown and see the other side of Guelph. Or, take the bus that does go straight downtown, but don’t get off. Any of the 2-and 3-numbered buses run in loops, all of which eventually stop at the university and downtown stations. It will make it a lot harder to get lost on a bus in Guelph if you have already seen the entire city through a bus window.
Be courteous
This is probably the most important advice I could give. For locals, come September, it feels as though the population of Guelph doubles in size. Though this is more than a slight exaggeration, the population of Guelph Transit users at least doubles, if not more so. It’s important to be respectful during your ride. There are non-students on your bus, and beyond this, your fellow students also deserve your respect.
Don’t talk too loudly. Don’t be pushy. Don’t wear too much perfume or cologne when you have to take an 8:20 a.m. bus, because you will be standing so close to strangers that they can smell your breath, never mind your “subtle” scent. Give up your seat for elders, no matter how much you’d like to sit that day. If there are open seats further from the front of the bus, sit there, and not in the reserved seating. Thank your bus driver. Smile, if you feel so inclined, and when you’re on a super-packed bus and you’re starting to feel like canned tuna, remember that everyone else is stuck on this hot, sweaty, crazy-busy bus too.