501 Züm Queen shares routing with York Region Transit's Viva Orange bus rapid transit route between Martin Grove Road and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, and has been fare integrated with it since its creation. Both Brampton Transit and York Region Transit proofs of payment (Presto-marked transfers for riders paying cash) are accepted for the entire length of both bus routes.
Route history
The former Züm stop at York University in 2013. Service to the university ended 11 years later in 2024.
Originally, the route continued to York University (which also had a subway connection when the line's extension to Vaughan opened on December 17, 2017).[1] There were also two branch routes: 501A and 501C, which followed an express routing through Vaughan along Highways 427 and 407, with 501A running the full distance between the Downtown Brampton Terminal and York University, and 501C terminating at the Bramalea Terminal. These two branches were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic,[2] with the 501C being reinstated on September 6, 2022, and the 501 being cut back to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station.[3] On June 24, 2024, the 501C branch was cancelled permanently, leaving only the base route operating.[4] Brampton Transit cited high operating costs due to Highway 407 tolls and the recently introduced fare integration program (enabling free transfers from the TTC subway) as reasons for the change.[4]
