Larry Ducharme, general manager London Transit Commission.

London's busses are going to get a whole lot faster.

London's population has grown by more than 65,000 people in the last 22 years, but London Transit was not able to grow, even with the demand for more public transportation, and busses are now filled to capacity.

To fix this issue, the London Transit Commission is close to finalizing a plan to expand the system to a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT). When the system is built, the roads will have lanes that only buses can travel in, with no access given to cars, trucks or bikes, which avoids the busses being stuck on the congested roads. With busses getting their own lanes, it's estimated that bus traffic will be able to move up to four times faster.

The BRT has one route, which travels East-West and another route travelling North-South throughout the city, stopping at key points, such as Fanshawe College. This will take pressure off the more residential routes, and the BRT will have connections to those routes so passengers have a fast, reliable trip home.

Larry Ducharme, general manager of the London Transit Commission, said they are “nursing” the system until the BRT is officially open. He said that they have a master plan and are now seeking investors and the government to help make this happen. “We would like to see one-third investment from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments.”

Ducharme also said that London's youth play a very big role in this outcome. “It was the Fanshawe Student Union president who met with the Western University and Transit officials to make the bus passes possible,” Ducharme said. He said 35 per cent of the youth in the city say they don't have a driver's licence, and so they rely on public transportation to get around.

Fanshawe students are encouraged to share their thoughts and opinions on the London Transit Commission. “Young people are very key. Lend us your ear, [your] voice,” Ducharme said. “We are not standing still. We are listening.”

The London Transit Commission is in a “very good position” with the wheels moving forward on the BRT plan. The cost of the project is an estimated $330 million. If everything runs smoothly, the BRT should be an integral part of the London 2030 Transportation Master Plan.

For more information on the LTC, go to ltconline.ca.