Navigating Waterloo region and beyond

Think about all the places you’ll go during your time at UW. You may need to go to the grocery store, a fun activity with your friends, or back home if you are not from the Waterloo region. All these trips are not feasible without some form of transportation, but without a car, how would you ever make it to your destination? Not to worry. Whether it is going to Stratford, Toronto, Markham, or Hamilton, there is a ride for you.  

Grand River Transit (GRT) and ION 

The most common form of transportation used by students, accessible from the University of Waterloo Station across Ring Road from the DC library, is the GRT and the ION. UW students have unlimited access to any GRT bus and the ION light rail with a tap of their WatCard, given that they paid for the U-Pass that is automatically included in full-time students’ termly fees. Students must be full-time students, taking at least three courses that term, to be eligible for the U-Pass. Otherwise, they can opt-in at the SLC or DC Turnkey Desk.  

The GRT system allows students to travel between Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Elmira, St. Jacobs, and New Hamburg. The ION light rail is a line running between Conestoga Mall on one end and Fairview Park Mall on the other.  

The GRT offers accessible transportation options for full-time students with disabilities through their MobilityPLUS service. MobilityPLUS can be paid for with their U-Pass, however there is a separate registration where proof of enrollment in a full-time program is required. Upon providing proof, students that require this service will be given a paper pass for the MobilityPLUS service each month.  

If you don’t have the U-Pass, you can pay $3.75 fare or use an EasyGo Fare Card. EasyGo Fare Cards cost $5, and fare is only $3. ION light rail only takes tickets that you can buy at the station or payment from the EasyGo Fare Card. EasyGo Fare Cards can be bought from the Turnkey Desks at the Student Life Centre (SLC) or Davis Centre (DC). 

GO Bus 

Looking to make an out-of-town trip? University of Waterloo Station Platform 6 has access to GO busses to make those trips possible. There are two lines that the GO buses run: route 25 and route 30. Notable stops on route 25 include, Kitchener, Cambridge, Erin Mills, Square One, and Milton. Route 30 travels to Bramalea GO station.  

Taking the GRT or ION to Kitchener GO station opens up more destinations to travel to with the GO train. Notable stops from the Kitchener GO station include Toronto, Etobicoke, Brampton, Halton, and Guelph.  

You can purchase GO bus tickets from the GO Website, pay by Presto, or pay from the Turnkey Desks at DC or SLC. Prices for tickets will vary depending on where you go and whether you use e-tickets or Presto. For weekend and holiday trips, there is an option for a $10 dollar day pass that is valid for 24 hours with unlimited access to any GO bus or train.  

FedBus 

The Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) provides its own method of transportation, exclusive to UW students, called the FedBus. Tickets for the FedBus are available at the two Turnkey desks in DC and SLC. Students must show their WatCard when purchasing tickets and when boarding the bus. Each bus will depart from the front of DC on Friday and return on Sunday night. This bus is only operating when classes are running. FedBus’ will not run during exams season. Any luggage you bring along must fit on your lap or under your seat as the bus used is a school bus, which affords little storage space.  

The FedBus’ destinations are in the GTA including Richmond Hill, CF Markville, McCowan Station, York Mills Station, and Highway 407 Station. The FedBus also goes to and from London, Ontario. Pricing and schedules can be found on their website fedbus.wusa.ca.   

Neuron E-Bikes and E-Scooters  

Run by Neuron Mobility, e-scooters and e-bikes are provided all over town as a sustainable mode of transport to reduce car pollution. To access the rides, you must download the Neuron Mobility app, which will show you where to leave the scooter or bike when you are done using them. 

On the Neuron app, you can pay for the service at a rate of $1.15 + $0.35 per minute with tax included. They also offer a three-day pass for $18.99 with 90 minutes of free riding per day and weekly passes for $26.99 with 45 minutes of free riding per day.   

This form of transport is fairly new, having just been launched in spring 2023. For those who would like to use it but have never rode on the streets before, they are encouraged to learn about the rules and how ride safely at scootsafe.com.  

Ring Road, UW Place, and Columbia Lake Village are places where students can pick-up or drop-off the vehicles across the campus. Riding the bikes and scooters are not allowed on university pathways or parking lots.  

Taxi services 

Taxi services can take you to multiple different cities across Ontario and to and from the airport. There are three local taxi services: Golden Triangle Taxi, United Taxi, and Waterloo Taxi. All three have an initial $3.50 fee + $2.50 per kilometre during the ride. Accessibility options are available with each of the mentioned taxi services. All three taxi services have apps, however specifically, when you use the app for United Taxi, you can save 15 per cent on all local trips. Taking an Uber or Lyft are also options for a taxi service that can be used to travel around the city.  

VIA Rail 

The VIA Rail train system is a method of transportation that you might have to go out of the way for, as all the other options can be found around campus or nearby. However, VIA Rail has the customers comfort in mind with seating, food, and accommodations. VIA Rail can take you to Guelph, Stratford, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto, to list a few options. There are multiple classes of seating at different price ranges, including economy, business, sleeper plus, and prestige. Business class and above will provide food and drinks, whereas the economy class has to pay for refreshments. Wi-Fi and electrical outlets are available for all classes along with comfortable seating. Medical, meal, and accessibility needs can be accommodated with VIA Rail.