Regional staff recommending more advertising on GRT

Regional staff are looking to see more advertisements on Grand River Transit (GRT) in 2024.

The recommendation coming to committee on Tuesday is to increase the maximum allowance of five fully-wrapped GRT buses to 10 per cent of the entire fleet, including one ION LRT train. That would be a first in Waterloo Region.

Staff outline in the report that increasing revenue through advertising is a way to reinvest into improving service without impacting fares or the tax levy.

Staff believe that an increased number of advertising wraps will not only save the region money on advertising costs, but it will also mean community bus wraps, like the Every Child Matters bus, stay on the road for longer.

As it stands, five wraps make up 1.8 per cent of the existing fleet, and the buses with the Every Child Matters artwork count as one of the five allowed buses.

The wrap will only last a month, despite calls to run it year round, because the region absorbs the advertising and production costs while it also occupies their “saleable advertising” space.

But if 10 per cent of the fleet is wrapped with ads? Staff estimate ad revenue to grow by half a million dollars per year, ensuring revenue can still be generated while running wraps for social initiatives.

Grand River Transit is also investigating additional revenue opportunities in order to offset the increasing costs of operation while demand for transit and daily ridership numbers are at all-time highs.

The report recommending the changes to transit advertisement is coming to committee on Tuesday.