Brant Transit fares are going up: What you need to know before March

Celeste Percy-Beauregard

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Transit riders in Brant County can expect each trip to cost a bit more as of March 1.

Last Tuesday night, council passed a bylaw bringing the general fare from $5 to $6, and the 55+ fare from $3 to $4.

There is no change for kids under 12 or Canadian National Institute for the Blind card carriers, who ride free.

It’s the first fare increase since 2019.

It bumps the county fares higher than several neighbouring services, which are in the $3 range for an adult trip — but the micro service isn’t a typical transit system.

“It’s challenging to compare Brant Transit, apples to apples, to other nearby transit services because the form of our transit is very specific to us,” Rodel Ramos, the county’s community outreach director, previously told councillors.

The transit service operates more like a ride-share taxi, where riders book a trip in advance and receive curb-to-curb service, Ramos said.

Trips can be within the county or to and from the neighbouring municipality of Brantford — which accounts for around 85 per cent of trips, according to a report councillors saw in November.

How do nearby transit fares compare?

Adult fare as of January 2026:

Brantford: $3 a ride.

Hamilton: $3.75 cash or $2.85 with a Presto card.

Norfolk County: “In town” routes are $3 and “out of town” routes are $6.50.

In 2024, the county collected $101,119 in fares and $280,774 of provincial gas tax funding. This helped offset the county’s contribution to the service, which was $880,710, the report said.

With around 1,000 unique riders a year, it means the county is essentially subsidizing riders at almost $900 a person, Coun. John Bell pointed out at the time.

A survey revealed more than half of the riders use Brant Transit to get to and from work. Around a quarter of riders use it to get to medical appointments, and a smaller group of riders uses it for running errands, going to school, or for leisure.

The service was expected to have completed 27,500 rides by the end of 2025.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows her to report on stories about Brant County.