ROUTE MEMOIRS

There's a reason as to why there is no route roster (or fare information) on this web page. Every year (sometimes a few times a year), Kitchener Transit tweaks and changes its routes and route names, so putting such information on the web is dangerous. I'm not in the business of mis-directing anyone who wants to use Kitchener Transit, and since even I (insert humble snort here!) cannot guarantee that I could keep an active roster up-to-date, what with school and life in general, I direct all such inquiries to Kitchener Transit itself.

However, I am always interested in routes and buses that have come and gone, and that's what this section is all about.

One of the oldest abandoned routes that I remember is the Route 12 Rosemount. Before the current 12 headed for Fairview Mall along Kitchener's west side, the Rosemount bus traversed some of Kitchener's oldest and most established areas, just east of Downtown. It traveled on Cameron and East Ave, Krug St. and Sherwood Dr. and finally the neighbourhood and street of Rosemount itself. If one drives around that area today, you can still see many of the old bus platforms, either abandoned or taken over by the Routes 1 and 8B, both of which now travel over parts of the old Rosemount route.

Below is a picture of one of the old-look GM buses that Kitchener inherited from the P.U.C., which more often than not exclusively traveled along, amongst other routes, the 12 Rosemount. The bus is number 603 (bought in 1960), and is now (unfortunately) confined to the role of storage shed.

Another abandoned route was the Franklin route. It traveled almost road for road the East Ave/Franklin St. routing the current 8B uses, looping on street at what is now old King St East. Below are further examples of routes long gone, courtesy of no-longer used destination signs:

11A Country Hills West

The Country Hills West bus eventually became the 2 Country Hills West, and currently, 2 Glencairn (a more proper name considering it's the name of the subdivision). The 11A operated as an extension of the 11 Country Hills, running to Kitchener Downtown from the Glencairn area of Kitchener, Monday to Friday between 6am and 6pm, at 45-minute intervals.

13 Beechwood

Operated Monday to Friday rush-hours only, between King and University, and the Beechwood area of Westmount/Old Post Rd/Fischer-Hallman/Columbia in Waterloo. The route was abandonded for many reasons, one of which included complaints from (in my humble opinion) the rich snobs of the area who didn't want a Transit bus running through their neighbourhood!

14 Northlake

Operated Monday to Friday rush hours, between Conestoga Mall and the Northlake area of Lakeshore in Waterloo, via the Randall Ave. business park. The route was abandoned primarily for lack or ridership. A piece of the area (Northlake Dr. between Swallow and Golden Eagle) and the Randall Ave. business park are still serviced by the 14 Waterloo Industrial.

These are just three of the routes which have changed over the years. As Waterloo Region grows and changes, time will only tell what new routes will arrive in the future, and what old routes will fall...

Last Updated: March 1, 2000. Thank you for visiting