• Stouffville’s York Region Transit (YRT) ridership is up 18 percent over last year, outpacing system-wide results.
  • Plans for 2026 are now being finalized, and YRT hopes to extend Route 9 south to Steeles Avenue next September.
  • The extension will provide a connection to the TTC and link riders to new employment areas.
  • An additional morning trip is also expected for the successful St. Katharine Drexel School Special bus.
  • Local On-Request North-Central service launched early, expanding transit options for Stouffville’s west end.
  • Councillor Sue Sherban renewed her call for more bus shelters, citing exposure as a likely barrier to further ridership growth.

 

York Region Transit (YRT) ridership is beginning to level off across the system, mostly matching 2024 results in recent months. Stouffville, however, remains an exception.

Local transit use grew by 18 percent over the past year, driven by steady gains on the Route 9 and St. Katharine Drexel School Special buses. That growth came alongside a series of recent service improvements, and more are on the way.

Two major upgrades were introduced to the municipality in 2025. The first was the launch of weekend service on Route 9, which began operating in late June. The second was a significant expansion of YRT’s On-Request service, extending hours and improving flexibility for local riders. Planning for next year is now being finalized, with two additional enhancements on Stouffville’s horizon.

YRT wants to extend Route 9 south to Steeles Avenue, and the new service is anticipated to begin in September 2026. The link would connect riders to employment areas along the corridor, including the Amazon Fulfillment Centre that opened in 2020. During a presentation to Stouffville’s Council last week, YRT Service Planning Manager Tamas Hertel said the extension has been years in the making.

As currently proposed, Route 9’s southern loop off Box Grove Bypass, which circles Riverwalk Drive, Ninth Line, and 14th Avenue in Markham, would be removed. Instead, the route would extend south along Donald Cousens Parkway to Steeles Avenue East, looping through Tapscott Road, Passmore Avenue, and Morningside Avenue in Scarborough before returning north.

The extension will give Stouffville riders a new connection to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) system, including access to the 53 Steeles East bus. The TTC operates the route with 10-minute frequency, providing transfers to destinations westward before it reaches Finch Station and the Line 1 subway.

An additional morning trip will also be added to the St. Katharine Drexel School Special next year to keep pace with increasing demand. A second afternoon bus was implemented this fall after the route reached capacity.

Another key improvement arrived ahead of schedule. The integration of west Stouffville into YRT’s On-Request North-Central service, originally planned for 2026, came into effect at the end of August. The change expanded coverage to the Vandorf and Preston Lake areas, consolidated existing service zones including Gormley, and improved connections for northern York Region riders.

While the service expansion has been welcomed, Ward 6 Councillor Sue Sherban renewed her long-standing push for more bus shelters throughout Stouffville. “I’ve asked every year, and I’m going to ask again: we need bus shelters,” she told Hertel. “Ninth Line is a wicked area for people to…stand out and wait for the bus.”

Sherban said many of the town’s bus stops lack basic protection from the elements, which can discourage ridership. “If we’re going to increase service, we need to increase our shelters in Stouffville,” she stated, noting that she may explore whether sponsorships or partnerships could help fund future installations.

She also expressed interest in seeing more data on youth ridership, especially since the launch of weekend Route 9 service. “It’s always a concern that they have nothing to do and can’t get around without mom and dad,” Sherban said. “I’d love to see if they’re starting to use [the bus] on the weekends… That would be hugely beneficial to our community.”

YRT’s service plan will be finalized this fall for approval alongside York Region’s 2026 operating budget. Staff are also preparing the agency’s next five-year business plan, which will guide system priorities through the end of the decade.

While further details on that longer-term plan are expected next year, Hertel said it is being developed with a focus on financial responsibility, equity, safety, innovation, and customer experience.