Züm


Züm is a bus rapid transit system for the suburban city of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, northwest of Toronto, operated by Brampton Transit. Three routes extend into the Cities of Mississauga, Vaughan, and Toronto, with the first corridor having started service in fall 2010.
Phase 1 became fully operational by fall 2012. A key aspect of the Züm plan is increased service on supporting local corridors. Unlike other, similar, services and partly due to Brampton's diagonal geographic position relative to Toronto than other suburbs such as Mississauga or Vaughan, many Züm corridors will overlap significantly with other agencies' services, requiring more complex, co-operative planning between neighbouring cities. During the planning of this bus rapid transit system, Züm was called Acceleride.
Buses usually operate in mixed traffic, although Route 501 Queen uses the Highway 7 Rapidway, a busway built for York Region Transit's similar Viva network, while travelling through most of Vaughan, and stops at all stations along YRT's Viva Orange route. Brampton Transit has a fare partnership agreement with York Region Transit that allows for boarding and debarking anywhere along the Viva Orange route, using Züm buses. This was particularly convenient during a labour dispute involving some contractors operating YRT resulting in the temporary suspension of Viva Orange.

History

Phase 1 planned for three express corridors to improve service on some of Brampton's busiest routes.
Originally, the 501 Queen route ran to York University in Toronto, with two express branches following Highway 407, but the express branches were cancelled and the base route cut back to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre by June 2024.
In the future, the agency plans to look into constructing exclusive busways.

Terminals

In preparation for the launch of Route 501, Brampton Transit re-built its Bramalea City Centre Terminal, relocating it from its previous location beside Clark Boulevard, on the south side of the shopping centre, to the northeast corner, nearer to Queen Street. Minor renovations will also be performed at the downtown terminal.
In preparation for the launch of its 511 Steeles route, Brampton Transit also replaced the Shoppers' World terminal near Hurontario/Main Streets and Steeles Avenue with a new terminal, the Brampton Gateway Terminal, at the actual corner of Steeles and Hurontario/Main.
Züm uses the Downtown Terminal|Downtown], Bramalea, and Brampton Gateway terminals, in addition to Mississauga's City Centre terminal, and the Toronto Transit Commission's Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway station in Vaughan. Züm also connects to Toronto Pearson International Airport via an airport people mover station at Viscount Road in Mississauga.

Intermodal transfer points

These stops allow interchanges with multiple regular Brampton Transit routes and/or other services, including Miway, GO Transit, and the TTC.
StopCorridorOpen
Airport LoopBovaird Drive2014
Bramalea City CentreQueen Street2010
Bramalea GO StationSteeles2012
Brampton Civic HospitalBovaird Drive2014
Downtown BramptonQueen Street
Main Street
2010
Humber College LRT station and bus terminal Steeles2012
Hurontario–407Main Street2011
Lisgar GO Station Steeles2015
Malton GO Station Airport Road2018
Mount Pleasant GO Station
Mount Pleasant Village
Bovaird Drive
Queen Street West
2014
Sandalwood LoopMain Street2011
Shoppers WorldMain Street
Steeles
2011
Mississauga City Centre Transit TerminalMain Street2011
Trinity CommonBovaird Drive2014
Vaughan Metropolitan Centre TTC subway station Queen Street2017
Viscount Station Airport Road2022

Fares

Similar to York Region's Viva service, Züm buses shares the same fare structure as the conventional Brampton Transit system. Further partnership between the two agencies permits YRT customers to board Züm buses within York Region and pay standard YRT fares.
The Presto card fare payment system has been active on Züm since 2011.
Brampton Transit is listed as one of the transit agencies in the GTHA to use such as debit, credit, and mobile wallets. This extends to the Züm network as well.