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 BRANTFORDBrantford Transit HistoryIn 1879, Alfread Watts formed the street railway system but no active work commenced. However, a charter was kept. In March 1886, public transit began with Brantford Street Railway owned by C.H. Flack of Cornwall, who purchased the charter and erected stables and sheds in West Brant at Oxford (now Colborne St. W). The new company was formed entirely of outsiders. In Sept. 9 1886, half-hour service at 5 cents a trip, 10 cents after 10:00 pm; tickets 22 for $1.00. 6 cars were in operation, 4 closed and 2 open, with 14 horses. Tracks on Colborne Street from West Brant across the old iron Lorne Bridge easterly and also up Market to the Grand Trunk Railway tracks and from Colborne up King to Darling to William to Richmond to Brant Avenue to the entrance of the Ontario School for the Blind. In 1893, Mr. Frederick Nicholls of the Toronto General Electric took over the horse cars and changed to electric, altered routes and improved tracks with new barns and offices on Colborne Street east of Clarence. Between 1893 and 1912, private companies in succession extended, changed and ran the Street Railway until the final company went into receivership in 1912. In 1906, a new barn on Brant Avenue was erected. The horse car barn at West Colborne and Gilkinson Streets was not demolished until 1937, being latterly used by the City Works Department. On Aug. 5, 1914, the City of Brantford took over the operation from the Brantford Street Railway company and the Grand Valley Railway for $253,000. The new Brantford Street Railway commission (later the Brantford Municipal Railway Commission) improved and extended the service. In 1916, a model T bus began running in the Terrace Hill section. 1,420,000 passengers were carried, and in 1919, 2,150,000 were carried. In 1918, the Grand Valley Railway from Paris to Galt was sold to the Lake Erie and Northern Railway with the Grand Valley cars servicing Brantford to Paris until 1929, when they were replaced by buses. In 1919, The Brantford Municipal Railway Commission commenced operation. In 1933, Rolling Stock: 1 snow sweeper, 19 closed cars, 2 open with 15 benches, 2 - 1929 buses. In 1935, a special Act of legislation allowed a Brantford bylaw to be passed in 1935 to form The Public Utilities Commission of the City of Brantford, amalgamating the Brantford Hydro Electric Commission, the Board of Water Commissioners and the Brantford Municipal Railway Commission. The street railway indebtedness of $449,500., which the City of Brantford assumed in 1914, was finally cleared by April 1952, 38 years after the City's purchase of the system. For a time the City disclaimed responsibility for the indebtedness, but a court ruling held the city liable and in 1937 a start was made on retirement of the debt. Debentures were issued at the time and the long standing obligation was made in April, 1952. In 1936, Buses began to replace the street car line. A plebiscite on December 5, 1938 during the municipal election agreed to gradually change street cars to buses. The last Street Car operated in 1939. In 1940, the barn on Brant Avenue was converted to a garage to service the buses. The last street car returned to the barn January 31, 1940. In 1969, Ground was broken on November 6 for the construction of a new Service Centre and the building was occupied by the Public Utilities Commission in 1970. |