Knowing how to get around your new city is incredibly important. This chapter of the handbook provides you with information on city buses, the DeGroote shuttle bus, taxis and other forms of public transit.

Local Transportation

DeGroote Shuttle Bus

A free shuttle bus is available for students, staff and faculty traveling between the McMaster main campus in Hamilton and the Ron Joyce Centre in Burlington. The shuttle bus also makes stops at the Appleby GO Station. The schedule for the shuttle, including pick-up and drop-off locations can be found on the DeGroote Shuttle webpage.

Hamilton City Bus

Hamilton’s public transit bus service, the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR), will take you to almost any place in Hamilton. Buses display their route number and destination on the front of the bus. Bus stops are marked at the side of the road with a sign showing which bus routes stop at that location. You do not have to wave down the bus – simply step to the edge of the sidewalk at the marked bus stop and the bus will stop for you.

MBA students do not currently receive an HSR bus pass through their McMaster University supplementary fees. However, you can purchase a monthly bus pass through the HSR company. Passes are loaded onto a reloadable electronic fare card called a PRESTO card. Monthly HSR bus passes are available for purchase in person at the HSR Ticket Office, located at 36 Hunter Street East, Hamilton, ON, or you can order one on-line at: www.prestocard.ca or call 1-8-PRESTO-123 (1-877-378-6123).

Purchasing single ride bus tickets and loading your Presto card can be done at the Compass Information Desk can also be bought at the Compass Information Desk, located in the McMaster University Student Centre (Hamilton campus). The Compass Information Desk is also a ticket agent for Burlington Transit, GO Transit, Megabus, Greyhound and Coach Canada.

For more information on schedules, fares, or purchasing a monthly pass, please visit the HSR website.

Taxis and Other Transit

• Taxis: You can call a private taxi using Burlington Taxi (905-333-3333) or Hamilton Cab (905-777-7777)
• GO Transit: This regional service offers frequent bus and train routes throughout southern Ontario. You can pay using a PRESTO card, just like with the HSR.
• Burlington Transit: This is Burlington’s public transit (bus) service
• Coach Canada: This is a coach bus service for longer trips
• Megabus: This is a discount coach bus service for longer trips