London’s Express Route 90 bus, which runs between White Oaks Mall and Masonville Place, is now driving on a short, completed section of the city’s first centre-running bus lanes.
As of Sunday, September 6, the bus now runs down the centre of Wellington Road along its dedicated red-painted lanes, between Simcoe Street and Grand Avenue.
Some commuters said they were excited to experience the new route.
“Let’s see,” said Tariq Alyousif as he waited to board the bus. “I’m thinking it’s going to be faster, easier and more safe for people to use the bus in the middle lane.”
Tariq Alyousif boarding the Express Route 90 from the new platform in the centre of the road. (Jack Sutton/CBC)
For riders getting on or off Route 90 at the Wellington at South stop, this means they will no longer wait at the curb, but rather on the new protected platforms in the centre of the road, which are accessible from the crosswalk.
Only Route 90 is using the new platforms for now, and Routes 1 and 13 will still stop at the curb.
The new transit lanes mean changes for drivers, too. Drivers can no longer make left-hand turns into driveways or onto side streets along that stretch of Wellington, so they will have to continue to the light and make a U-turn.
Centre-running bus lanes are new for both London riders and bus drivers, said Kelly Paleczny, the general manager at London Transit Commission (LTC), who sees this is an opportunity for a trial run.
“We looked at it and said, ‘Let’s start utilizing it and gain some experience,'” she said. “Then if there are any issues that we encounter, we can incorporate any necessary changes into the next stops as they’re being completed.”
LTC staff will be present in the area during the first week to help riders navigate the new system and answer any questions, she added.
The new centre-running lane are a part of the larger Wellington Gateway project — part of London’s Bus Rapid Transit System — which is scheduled to begin full operations in 2029. The East London Link project is expected to be finished and operational earlier, beginning sometime in 2027.
The latter saw its first major milestone last year when LTC began using new contraflow lanes on King Street, with buses running in both directions on the one-way street.
According to LTC, Londoners will see more Rapid Transit stations located on the centre-running lanes opening as construction wraps up and they become safe to operate. Riders can check for more updates on the LTC website.