MiWay

MiWay

A MiWay MiLocal (frequent stop) bus
Slogan	my destination. my route. mi way.
Founded	1969
Headquarters	3484 Semenyk Court
Locale	Mississauga, Ontario
Service area	Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Toronto
Service type	Public Transit
Routes	59 local 7 express 3 limited-stop 14 regular school 13 summer school 1 TTC-contracted
Stops	3673[1]
Hubs	28 (8 outside the city)
Depots	2
Fleet	623 buses
Daily ridership	119,152 (2014)
Annual ridership	36.6 million ( 2.2%) (2014)[1] (52.2 million boardings)
Fuel type	Diesel, Hybrid electric
Operator	City of Mississauga
Chief executive	Geoff Marinoff
Website	www.miway.ca

Former Mississauga Transit logo

Like most other city owned vehicles, transit buses are also identified by a version of the corporate logo

MiWay bus stop 5304 located at the intersection of Hurontario and Courtneypark. MiWay's 57 Courtneypark services this stop along with Brampton Transit's 7 Kennedy.

MiWay (pronounced "my way"; stylized miWAY) is a public transport agency serving Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The city's Transportation and Works department is in charge of its operation.

The current MiWay service consists of two types of bus routes: MiLocal, local buses that make frequent stops, and MiExpress, express buses between major destinations. MiWay is the primary operator along the Mississauga Transitway, a dedicated east to west bus-only roadway.

MiWay's routes connect with GO Transit commuter rail and intercity buses. The system also connects with Brampton Transit to the north, Oakville Transit to the west, York Region Transit (YRT) to the northeast, and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to the east, at the Islington and Kipling subway stations on Line 2. MiWay is a member of the Canadian Urban Transit Association.

In 2013, MiWay's annual ridership was 65.8 million passengers, with more than 89.9 million boardings.^[1]

History

Public transit in Mississauga was first operated by Charterways Limited as Mississauga Transit Systems with four buses in 1969 and was acquired by the city's newly formed Mississauga Transit in 1974, incorporating the former towns of Mississauga, Port Credit and Streetsville. Services began on November 1, 1973.

It later acquired routes formerly operated by others, such as;

• TTC's 74 Port Credit bus, in February 1976, that had operated on Lakeshore Road from Long Branch since 1935. This succeeded a former interurban railway, dating back to 1892 as the Toronto and Mimico Electric Railway and Light Company.
• Gray Coach Lines, and later GO Transit, also served intercity routes on Dundas Street, and Hurontario Street, both being provincial highways before the construction of present freeways such as Highways 401, 403, 410, and 427.
• Malton is still served by TTC's 52 Lawrence West bus, which has replaced 58 Malton. Local services in Malton were provided since 1969, and expanded after 1973.

Mississauga Transit was rebranded MiWay on October 4, 2010. New MiWay-branded hybrid buses entered service, with orange MiLocal buses on local routes and blue MiExpress buses on express routes. Advertisements were placed on buses and shelters in September 2010 to introduce users to the new branding. Older buses using the old logo would continue to be used until they are decommissioned. Service levels did not change with the rebranding.^[2]

The reason for the company's new name is twofold: "Mi" could be interpreted as standing for Mississauga, and it is also a homophone for "My", suggesting possession.

As of December 1, 2011, MiWay’s bus fleet is fully low-floor and accessible. As of October 22, 2012, bus stop pads have been put at all MiWay bus stops. This allowed the entire system, to become fully accessible.^[3]

Facilities

Other terminals and junctions

All MiWay routes are wheelchair-accessible ().

MiWay service booth and platforms at Islington Subway Station

Location	Routes	Other Connections
Bramalea Terminal	185	Brampton Transit, GO Transit
Brampton Gateway Terminal	103	Brampton Transit (with the terminal), GO Transit (at Main Street)
Credit Valley Hospital	34, 48	35/35A (at Eglinton Avenue), 46, 67 (at Erin Mills Parkway), GO Transit (at Erin Mills Parkway and Eglinton Avenue)
Dixie Outlet Mall	4, 5
Erin Mills Town Centre Bus Terminal	13, 34, 46, 48, 49	35/35A (at Eglinton Avenue)
Humber College North Campus	22, 107†	Brampton Transit, TTC, YRT (inside campus), GO Transit (at Hwy. 27)
Islington Subway Station	1/1C, 3, 11/11A/11B, 20, 26, 35/35A, 57, 70, 71, 76, 101/101A, 108, 109	TTC Buses and Line 2 Bloor-Danforth subway. Toronto Transit Commission leases 4 of its 7 bus bays to MiWay for $250,000 per year. The only major hub outside the city limits.
Kipling Subway Station	no direct bus connection	Dundas Street West & Aukland Road (nearest on-street stop), TTC is the only service for this station.
Meadowvale Town Centre Transit Terminal	10, 13, 38/38A, 39, 42, 43, 44, 45/45A, 46, 48, 57, 87, 90, 104, 109	GO Transit (at Aquitaine Avenue)
Sheridan Centre Bus Terminal	13, 23, 29, 71	110 (at Erin Mills Parkway)
Sheridan College Brampton Campus	61A, 66	Brampton Transit
Sherway Gardens	4	TTC
South Common Centre Bus Terminal	1C, 13, 26, 29, 36, 48, 101, 110	Oakville Transit
Toronto Pearson International Airport	7 (Terminal 1), 57 (Infield Cargo Area), 24 & 107 (Viscount LINK Station)	Brampton Transit, GO Transit (Terminal 1), TTC (Terminals 1 & 3)
Trillium Health Centre Queensway West & Hurontario Street	19A/19B/19C, 28	4 (at Queensway), 19, 103 (at Hurontario Street)
University of Toronto at Mississauga	1C, 44, 101/101A†, 110
Westdale Mall Dundas Street West & Erindale Station Road	1/1C, 4, 6, 38/38A, 101/101A
Westwood Mall Bus Terminal	7, 11/11A/11B, 12, 15, 16/16A, 22, 24, 30, 42, 104, 107	Brampton Transit, TTC
Woodbine Centre	30	11/11A/11B, 12 (at Rexdale Boulevard), TTC (inside terminal), YRT (at Hwy. 27, Rexdale Boulevard and Queens Plate Drive), GO Transit (at Hwy. 27)

• †: September to April only

GO Transit stations

All MiWay routes are wheelchair-accessible ().

A Mississauga Flyer D800 bus (type now retired) meeting a TTC bus at Long Branch Loop in 1987.

Location	Routes	Other Connections
Clarkson	13, 14/14A, 23, 29, 45/45A, 110	Oakville Transit
Cooksville	28, 91	19/19A/19B/19C, 103 (at Hurontario Street)
Dixie	no direct bus connection	5 (nearest on-street route)
Erindale	20, 37	6, 26 (at Burnhamthorpe Road) 9, 38/38A (at Creditview Road)
Hurontario & 407 Park and ride	19, 53	Brampton Transit
Kipling	no direct bus connection	Dundas Street West & Aukland Road (nearest on-street stop), TTC connection available at Kipling Subway Station.
Lisgar	32, 38/38A	Brampton Transit
Long Branch Long Branch TTC Loop	5, 23	TTC
Malton	12	30, 42 (at Derry Road) Brampton Transit (at Derry Road)
Meadowvale	44, 64, 90
Port Credit	8, 14/14A, 19, 23, 103
Streetsville	9, 49A, 67	44 (at Queen Street)

Services

TTC-contracted routes

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) routes within Mississauga require an exact fare, a MiWay ticket or a transfer. A TTC ticket or token with cash supplement, depending on the category that the passenger falls onto, can also be used for fares. All TTC passes (day, weekly and monthly), except the GTA weekly pass, are not valid for travel in the Mississauga Fare Zone.

NOTE: Presto card readers on TTC buses that operate in Mississauga are not set up to collect Miway fares at this time (although Presto users can pay their TTC bus fares with Presto while operating within the City of Toronto). As such, Presto users who wish to transfer onto TTC buses from a Miway bus within the Mississauga fare zone must tap their Presto card on the fare readers upon boarding and obtain a paper transfer from the driver.

Transfer privileges apply to and from MiWay routes. Only one route, 52B/52D Lawrence West, is operated by the TTC on behalf of the City of Mississauga.

Route		Direction and Termini				Accessible	Operates	Extra Fare Required
52B	Lawrence West	EB	To Lawrence Subway Station via Lawrence West Subway Station	WB	To Westwood Mall		Monday through Friday	West of Pearson Airport
52D					To Victory Crescent / McNaughton Avenue		Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays

Bus rapid transit

In 2007, Mississauga received federal funding for a bus rapid transit (BRT) line, the Mississauga Transitway. The line is built alongside Highway 403, which passes through the City Centre. The line also connects to Toronto Pearson International Airport at Renforth Drive.

Light rail transit

The Cities of Mississauga and Brampton propose a light rail transit (LRT) route on Hurontario Street between Lakeshore Road and Steeles Avenue in Brampton.^[6] This route would link Port Credit, Mississauga City Centre, and Downtown Brampton in response to increasing congestion and anticipated high growth in the corridor.^[7]

The LRT will connect to three GO Transit rail lines (Georgetown line at Brampton GO Station, Milton line at Cooksville GO Station, and Lakeshore West line at Port Credit GO Station), and seven rapid transit lines (Lakeshore Rapid Transit, Dundas Rapid Transit, Highway 407 Transitway, Züm Steeles, Züm Queen, Züm Main, and Mississauga BRT).

Accessibility

MiWay operates low floor, wheelchair accessible buses. The last high-floor bus was retired December 1, 2011. A separate transit service for the disabled, called Transhelp, is operated by the Peel Regional Municipality.

Schedules

Mississauga Transit's paper "Ride Schedules" were discontinued in 2004. From 2005 onward all timetables were only available from the system's website.

MiWay provides up-to-date bus schedules via their CityLink telephone service. In November 2005 MiWay inaugurated a schedule finder on their website, called Click 'n Ride,^[8] with information specific to each bus stop.

Fares

As of January 2018 the MiWay's cash fare is $3.75 (exact change) for all passengers.^[9] Presto cards are being used in the entire MiWay system since May 30, 2011.^[10]

Traditional fare media:

PRESTO card fares:

TTC-contracted routes:

Other fares:

Fleet

MiWay operates two types of vehicles: regular 40-foot buses and 60-foot articulated buses. Both are fully wheelchair-accessible buses (); however, some bus stops on an accessible route are not accessible due to the lack of bus stop pads for safe loading and unloading for the disabled passengers.

Media related to MiWay buses at Wikimedia Commons

Transit Enforcement and Staff

MiWay drivers are represented by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1572.^[16]

Mississauga Transit Enforcement Officers patrol in white Dodge Chargers bearing a single black stripe and wording Transit Enforcement in black. Mississauga Transit Enforcement Officers are part of the City of Mississauga Corporate Services team. Transit Enforcement are designated as Municipal Law Enforcement Officers, and enforce the Mississauga Transit Bylaw 425-03.^[17]

References

Works cited

• Mississauga - An Illustrated History, Roger E. Riendeau Windsor Publications Limited 1985.
• Mississauga Transit - 25 Years With You On Board 1974-1999, David Onodera, Canadian Transit Heritage Foundation 1999.

--contains roster of buses used to 1999.

• Aging bus fleet to be replaced, GTA: Mississauga, Toronto Star, August 24, 2006, R5

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to MiWay.

• Official website
• Peter McLaughlin's Mississauga Bus Drawings
• Drawings and photos of Mississauga Transit buses
• Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1572