Transit

Quick links:

• HSR
• GO Transit
• ABOUTOWN
• Coach Canada
• Greyhound
• Burlington Transit
• VIA Rail
• Scarborough Transit
• Go Transit ID Cards
• GO Student ID Card Application Process

HSR (back to top)

The HSR (Hamilton Street Railway) is Hamilton’s municipal transit system. The distinctive yellow and blue fleet offers service to McMaster from Ancaster, Dundas and Stoney Creek, as well from the lower and “mountain” areas of Hamilton.

McMaster Student U-Pass: Full-time students who are part of the MSU pay a fee of $121.80 (as of September 2010) on their tuition which entitles them an HRS bus pass that is good from September to April.

Full-time students who are part of the GSA pay a fee of $182.70 for their pass that is good from September to August. Full-time means 18 units or more each term. For Summer 2013: only students with a yellow sticker are entitled to free HSR transit from September to August.

McMaster Summer Student Discount
As a McMaster Summer Student you receive a 20% discount on a 4-month HSR buss pass. Contact Compass for more details.

GO Transit (back to top)

GO Transit provides service throughout the Greater Toronto Area and into Hamilton.

McMaster's GO Bus Terminal provides direct services for two GO Transit routes connecting to the GTA: the Lakeshore West and the Hwy 407 West corridors. At McMaster, weekday ridership is about:

- 3000 rides in total per Monday to Thursday

- 4500 rides in total on Fridays

The Hwy 407 West GO Bus Service travels weekdays between McMaster and York U, with a stop in Brampton at Bramalea GO, in Mississauga at Square One, and three carpool lots along Hwy 407 - Trafalgar Rd., Bronte Rd. & Dundas St. Convenient connections to Thornhill, Markham, Scarborough and Pickering can be made at York U. Sunday evening trips to/from McMaster now operate as well.

The Lakeshore West Service provides weekday bus connections between McMaster and Lakeshore GO Trains at the Aldershot GO/VIA Station or the Burlington GO Station. This service is an excellent route if your access to GO Trains is along the Lakeshore through to Union Station & beyond. As a 'train-meet' service it has minimal wait times at the transfer point. Sunday service to McMaster operates on this route too.

GO Bus Stops near McMaster University

There are six bus stops heading west on King St between John St and Dundurn St that GO buses stop at:

  • John St
  • Jackson St
  • Caroline St
  • Queen St
  • Strathcona St
  • Dundurn St

When leaving the McMaster University, heading east towards downtown, the first stop is in front of Columbia College and continues at Longwood, Macklin, Dundurn, Poulette, Pearl, Queen, Caroline and the last stop in front of City Hall.

Park & Ride: Most GO Transit stations provide at least limited parking. In addition, the GO bus service along Hwy 407 West includes Park & Ride facilities at three Hwy 407 interchanges - Trafalgar Rd., Bronte Rd. & Dundas St. At these locations, you can park a vehicle for free and there is a well defined area to catch the GO bus. GO Transit has a parking area by Square One, with approx. 200 parking stalls.

The Hamilton QEW Express Bus is a very frequent service that operates seven days a week between Union Station in Toronto & downtown Hamilton's GO Centre. Note that it does not come onto campus. The first bus stop for this service as it enters Hamilton is however only 8 blocks from campus - thus a quick walk. Relying on this service for a return trip to Union Station is not as convenient as the bus stop closest to Mac is approximately a 30 minute walk from campus at the intersection of King & Dundurn Streets (click here for a map).

Information on GO Transit ID Cards can be found here.

ABOUTOWN (back to top)

ABOUTOWN offers service between Hamilton and Guelph. See route NL-8

Coach Canada (back to top)

Coach Canada provides service between McMaster and Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo. Service from Niagara stops at the downtown Hamilton bus terminal.

Please be advised that Coach Canada service between Hamilton and Guelph is being reduced to a Tuesday-only service (one trip in each direction), effective August 16. This service is being discontinued effective October 21/09. Please see the attached notice which provides contact information to direct related inquiries.

Note: An alternate option is to take 407 West GO bus from MAC to Square One, then take the University of Guelph GO bus from Square One to the U of Guelph stop.

Or, take the Lakeshore West GO Train & Bus from MAC to Union Station. Then take the Georgetown GO Train & Bus from Union Station to Guelph U.

Greyhound (back to top)

Greyhound offers service between McMaster and London, Ingersoll, Woodstock, Paris and Brantford. Check out their Companion Fare if you're travelling with a friend.

Burlington Transit (back to top)

Burlington Transit’s #1 Plains/Fairview bus serves downtown Hamilton, where you can transfer to a Mac-bound HSR bus.

VIA Rail (back to top)

VIA Rail service exists in the area, but the closest station to Hamilton is in Burlington. This station in Burlington is called the Aldershot VIA/GO Station and is only about 15 minutes from both McMaster's main campus and downtown Hamilton. Connections between this station and Hamilton are provided by GO Transit or taxi. The two taxi companies that serve Burlington are Burlington Taxi (905-333-3333) and Gem Taxi (905-333-1234).

Scarborough Transit (back to top)

Scarborough Transit provides a fast direct route from McMaster University to Scarborough town center. This is an ideal and convenient service for students living in Scarborough, Markham, Richmond Hill, Aurora, Ajax, and Pickering.  Click here for more information about this service.

Tickets:

Price: $14.00 (tax included)
Price applies to both adults and students.
Tickets are non-refundable once purchased.
(Only one-way trips are provided from McMaster University to Scarborough Town Center)

Schedule:

There will be two trips Every Friday at 4pm and 7pm

Student pass:

This pass allows students to travel 4 trips per semester and also save money on the regular ticket. This is a non-refundable pass.

Price: $52 (tax included)

GO Transit ID Cards (back to top)

GO Transit offers student discounts of approximately 10% to 30% on the adult monthly passes with a valid identification.

Full-time undergraduate and graduate students, whose validation sticker possesses the “HSR” section, can use their McMaster Student ID card to demonstrate eligibility for GO Transit student tickets and monthly passes.

Part-time students are not eligible for GO student discounts. Full-time students, whose validation sticker does not possess the 'HSR' section, must proceed with the application process described below.

For the following groups, your McMaster student ID card now acts as your GO student discount card:

Undergraduate Students (full-time)
Graduate Students (full-time)
Physician's Assistants
Health Science Students (full-time)

GO Student ID Card Application Process (back to top)

STEP ONE: Obtain a letter stating that you are a full-time student and includes your session start and end dates.

Where to obtain this letter:

  • Undergraduate Students: Office of the Registrar, Gilmour Hall Rm 108
  • Medical Students: Do not need a letter. Please proceed to STEP TWO below
  • IAHS Students (full-time): Mohawk Registration Centre IAHS Rm 121
  • Divinity Students (full-time): Divinity College, Business Office Rm 211
  • MBA (co-op or commerce students going on work term) do not need a letter. Please proceed to STEP TWO below
  • MBA (full-time): do not need a letter. Please proceed to STEP TWO below
  • OHS students (full-time): Health Science Centre Rm 3H50
  • Nursing Consortium – Mohawk: Office of the Registrar, Gilmour Hall Rm 108
  • Nursing Consortium – Conestoga: Office of the Registrar, Gilmour Hall Rm 108
  • Child Life Studies (full-time): do not need a letter, please proceed to STEP TWO below

Students who are registered with both CSD and MAPS: you do not need to obtain the letter as described above. Instead, please download and fill out the following form before proceeding to STEP TWO.
CSD.MAPS GO application form (pdf)

STEP TWO: Bring this letter (only if you needed one) to get an application form authorized by a University representative (they have the forms, so don't worry about finding them ahead of time).

Here's where you go to get your GO ID form authorized on campus:

  • Undergrads: Parking Services, E.T. Clarke Centre
  • Medical Students: Education Services Office, MDCL 3101
  • IAHS students (full-time): Mohawk Registration Centre IAHS Rm 121
  • Divinity students: Rm 211, Business Office, Divinity College
  • Commerce students going on work term: DSB Rm 112
  • MBA (co-op students on work term): CBCD, RJC-333
  • MBA (full-time): MASO, RJC-316
  • OHS students (full-time): Parking Services, E.T. Clarke Centre
  • Nursing Consortium – Mohawk: Parking Services, E.T. Clarke Centre
  • Nursing Consortium – Conestoga: Parking Services, E.T. Clarke Centre
  • Child Life Studies (full-time): Child Life Studies Office, Health Sciences Center Rm 2E7
  • Students who are registered with both CSD and MAPS: McMaster University Student Centre room 234

STEP THREE: Deliver the signed form to Union Station. This can be done in one of three ways:

1) Take the signed form to Union Station Customer Service where your card will be made up on the spot. Hours are weekdays 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekends and statutory holidays 10:20 a.m. to 6 p.m.

2) Take the signed form to any GO Train station. It will be sent to Union Station and processed, and then returned to the station of your choice for you to pick up. (Please allow 2-4 weeks for processing).

3) Mail the signed form, along with a self-addressed, stamped return envelope to: Union Station, Customer Service, 140 Bay St., Toronto, M5J 2L5. (Please allow 2-4 weeks for processing).

For students registered for 7 consecutive months or more, GO Transit ID cards are valid throughout the summer months and expire October 31 of the following year.

December 19, 2011

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