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Public transit operator in York Region, Canada

York Region Transit (YRT) is the public transit operator in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are in Richmond Hill, at 50 High Tech Road. YRT operates 65 full time, rush hour and limited routes, 35 school services, and six Viva bus rapid transit routes. Five contracted Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bus routes run within York Region's boundaries (one in Vaughan and four in Markham). Passengers who cross Steeles Avenue (the Toronto–York boundary) on these routes must pay an additional fare (the YRT or TTC fare) to continue their trip(s). Some YRT routes operate within the City of Toronto; these buses generally run to and from TTC subway stations. YRT northbound buses are allowed to pick up passengers south of Steeles Avenue if they are heading into York Region (but passengers must flag the bus from a designated TTC or YRT stop). YRT buses heading to a TTC subway station can similarly drop off passengers at designated stops south of Steeles Avenue, but are not permitted to pick up passengers from these stops. As the majority of passengers are assumed to be transferring to and from TTC services, no extra fare is charged for riders boarding or disembarking YRT buses within Toronto.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, average weekday ridership was approximately 64,800 on buses and 1,200 on MobilityPlus, a service for people with disabilities. 22.8 million riders used YRT in 2016, a 1.4% increase over 2015.

Vaughan Transit was the transit provider in the town of Vaughan, in southwest York Region, Ontario, Canada. The service operated from 1973 until 2001, when it was merged into York Region Transit.

Prior to 1973 public transit system were a patchwork of routes by various operators. In the early 1800s stagecoaches or omnibuses ran along Yonge Street to hotels in Richmond Hill to York (Toronto) beginning from the 1820s. Markham Village also had stagecoaches but from 1871 to 1980 it had passenger rail services by various operators (Toronto and Nipissing Railway, Midland Railway of Canada, Grand Trunk Railway, Canadian National Railway and VIA Rail) before GO Transit began commuter rail service in 1982 as the Stouffville line. In Thornhill privately owned Metropolitan Street Railway or Metropolitan line ran streetcars on Yonge Street serving Markham on the eastside from 1897 to 1930. Publicly owned (via TTC) North Yonge Railways provided radial electric railway service on Yonge Street from 1930 to 1948. From 1948 to 1977 Toronto Transit Commission (Toronto Transportation Commission before 1954) ran North Yonge (later as 59 North Yonge) bus route on Yonge. From 1977 to 2001, GO Transit 58 Bayview and Yonge C bus routes provided local suburban bus service, with the Yonge B providing express service. Markham Transit was created in 1973 and operated by Travelways and Miller Transit Limited after 1984 on behalf of the then Town of Markham.

Newmarket Transit began sometime in the early 1970s as a contracted service from the town replacing the Newmarket Town Bus (c. 1958 and renamed from the Newmarket Bus Lines c. 1948).

Aurora's public transit system began operations in 1973. Like Newmarket, Aurora was much smaller in size and population than other southern York Region municipalities, which benefited from connections to GO Transit and the Toronto Transit Commission. Aurora Transit provided feeder service to GO Transit commuter trains and buses as well as community bus service to town's major destinations. A fare arrangement between Aurora Transit and GO Transit allowed passengers to use Aurora Transit tickets on GO Transit 'route B' buses that provided local service on Yonge Street, provided the entire trip was within Aurora city limits (GO Transit zone 63). Passengers travelling to the neighboring Oak Ridges or Newmarket or (Zones 62 or 64) could still use Aurora Transit tickets with a cash supplement. On August 30, 1998 Aurora Transit restructured its services into a single route with service in the southern part of the town provided by Richmond Hill Transit. At the same time Newmarket Transit route 77/11 was extended south on Bayview Avenue to connect with Aurora Transit's only route at Bayview Shopping Centre. Aurora Transit ended its operations on September 4, 1999, when the transit service in the town was transferred to Newmarket Transit. The latter became part of the York Region Transit on January 1, 2001 when the four regional transit systems were merged.

Transit services in York Region are divided into four divisions and are provided by private operators under contract.

On July 1, 2017, YRT removed fare zones allowing customers to travel within the region with only one fare. Previously, the YRT/Viva service area was divided into three fare zones. Zone 3 was defined as the portion of York Region north of Ravenshoe Road, and Zones 1 and 2 were divided by Bloomington Road for northbound passengers, just south of King Road for southbound passengers. Passengers crossing a zone boundary had to pay a zone fare supplement in addition to the regular fares.

As with many other transit agencies within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), YRT offers free transfers between YRT or Viva buses and GO Transit under its "Ride to GO" program. Passengers may transfer from a GO Transit route to a YRT bus route or TTC operated bus routes in York Region (north of Steeles Avenue) and receive free admission onto YRT so long as the passenger provides the GO Transit proof of payment ticket. Since Viva is operated on a proof of purchase system and single Viva fares are paid or purchased at curbside fare vending machines, riders must use a Presto card when transferring between Viva and GO Transit services in order to access the Ride to GO co fare discount. The GO Transit co fare discount is available to all passengers who pay single YRT bus fares on their stored Presto card balance: passengers will automatically be assessed the co fare (and any YRT or Viva fare supplements, if necessary) when transferring from GO Transit to YRT/Viva services regardless of where the passenger boards the YRT bus. Similarly, passengers transferring from YRT/Viva to GO Transit services will also be reimbursed the difference between the YRT fare and the co fare upon disembarking from GO Transit (effectively, the YRT portion of the journey is paid with a co fare).

Some TTC bus routes travel into York Region and operate on behalf of YRT. This allows passengers to board a TTC bus in York Region and disembark in the City of Toronto and vice versa. Passengers crossing the Toronto–York boundary at Steeles Avenue on a TTC bus must pay an additional fare: a YRT fare is required for travel north of Steeles Avenue and a regular TTC fare for travel south of it. Certain YRT routes enter Toronto, but City of Toronto regulations mean that passengers may not board inbound (towards Toronto) or disembark on outbound (away from Toronto) YRT routes in Toronto. No extra fare is charged for travel solely on YRT vehicles in Toronto. Since August 26, 2019, riders have been able to use their Presto card to pay both their YRT and TTC fares on TTC operated bus routes that travel between York Region and Toronto. While single use TTC only paper Presto tickets can be used to pay a TTC fare for the subway (whether in York Region or Toronto) or TTC surface routes in Toronto, they cannot be used to pay a YRT fare on TTC operated bus routes in York Region.

On December 17, 2017, the western branch of Line 1 was extended into York Region. Coinciding with that opening, YRT took over the operation of four TTC operated routes in Vaughan. Unlike the policy with TTC operated bus routes north of Steeles, no extra fare is charged when boarding or disembarking at and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre stations in Vaughan, due to the impracticality of a payment on exit system. However, an additional fare is required when transferring between YRT bus routes and the TTC subway at these stations, as it is at stations located in or bordering Toronto, such as or as well as with other TTC bus routes operating south of Steeles Avenue in Toronto including those aforementioned subway stations where TTC buses connect with.

An agreement between YRT and Brampton Transit means passengers boarding Züm Queen east of Highway 50 (which largely duplicates service with Viva Orange while in York Region) will be assessed YRT fares even if they intend to disembark in Brampton. As a Brampton Transit route, Brampton Transit fare media (including those loaded onto a Presto card) may be used to board without any additional fares being assessed. However, despite the fare integration, passengers boarding with YRT passes will not be issued transfers for connecting to Brampton Transit routes in Brampton, and passengers boarding with Brampton Transit passes will not be issued transfers for connecting to YRT routes in York Region. Brampton Transit and YRT have cooperated on routes connecting Brampton and Toronto via York Region, and for a time, certain YRT routes were jointly operated by YRT and Brampton Transit buses, where both agencies' fare media were accepted. The introduction of Züm Queen has ended operation of YRT route 77 to Bramalea City Centre. The acceptance of YRT fares on Brampton Transit routes in York Region are the last vestiges of such cooperation.

YRT has 123 Viva bus rapid transit vehicles, 406 York Region Transit buses, and 97 Mobility Plus vehicles. During the transition to the second colour theme some buses were all white with the old "YRT" label remaining.

Fare Inspectors and Special Constables patrol the entire YRT transit system for the safety and security of passengers and to ensure compliance with the proof of payment system used on Viva buses. They do random spot checks on board Viva buses to ensure the proper use of tickets, transfers and Presto cards. There is a time limit to be riding while paying one fare, and passengers without valid fares (even those whose two hour travel window expires while on board a vehicle) are subject to a warning, fine, or a criminal charge.

In 2006, YRT began installing 150 cameras on YRT (including Viva and Mobility Plus) buses. By the end of 2008, there were to be 210 more cameras added to the system's vehicles. CCTV cameras are also installed in some of the Vivastations in Richmond Hill.

Starting on October 24, 2011, bus drivers and workers contracted by Miller Transit, First Student and York BRT Services (Veolia) started striking, protesting over wages and benefits for three months. Over 60 percent of YRT bus routes in York region and all Viva routes did not operate. YRT and Viva workers started picketing on December 5, 2011, at Finch GO Terminal, YRT headquarters, South West Division Garage, and Richmond Hill Centre Terminal. 96% of all YRT/Viva routes returned to service on February 4, 2012, and 98% of services were operational on Monday, February 6, 2012. Full YRT/Viva service resumed on February 27, 2012. To compensate riders for the three months of service disruptions, York Region Transit provided two months of free service, using the money saved by not having to pay striking workers.