Residents hoping for a return of Saturday bus service will be waiting at that bus stop indefinitely, as weekend transit service is now permanently out of order and dial-a-bus is parked for good.
During the 2022 budget discussions, public works director Darrin Stephanson recommended restoring fixed-route transit service on Saturdays for $84,571. However, city manager Jim Puffalt disagreed with that suggestion and thought both services should be discontinued because of low ridership.
Puffalt’s main point was that even with 160 people using the service on Saturdays, that translated to 0.03 people per hour on four routes in 12 hours, leading to empty buses driving around.
“It pains me that we can’t provide Saturday service, but it’s not being used (enough). … It’s too expensive,” he said, adding customers have found alternate methods of transportation.
Council eventually voted 5-2 to receive and file the report, a decision that eliminated Saturday bus service.
Councillors Crystal Froese and Doug Blanc were opposed.
Council comments
Saturday transit might be expensive and ridership numbers low, but council receives numerous calls about bus service, said Blanc. There are many things that residents don’t use but still pay for — the Yara Centre and walking paths as examples — since others use those venues. Moreover, many people take transit in the winter since they’re uncomfortable driving on snow and ice.
“It’s a service we have to provide our citizens,” he added.
Residents expect the municipality to provide certain services, including transit, something that council has supported every year with a subsidy, said Froese. Meanwhile, she pays taxes to support the fire department with the hope of never needing its help.
“I may not use other city services, but I’m happy to pay for them so someone else can use them,” she added. “I’m happy that someone can use transit to go to work on Saturday, especially on a bitterly cold day … .”
Highlights of transit report
Saturday service
In pre-pandemic times, weekday bus ridership was 840 customers per day and Saturday ridership was 320 customers per day. During the pandemic, those numbers are roughly 400 and 160, respectively, said Stephanson.
“We were seeing an increase this fall, especially with school returning. But we are sitting at 50 per cent of pre-pandemic ridership,” he stated.
Bringing back fixed bus routes on Saturday would cost $84,571, while dial-a-ride service would cost $17,744, he added. Weekday service equates to $5.51 per trip, while Saturday fixed-route costs would be $5.08 per trip
The budget subsidy for transit next year is $1,204,369.
In opposition, Puffalt said that based on dial-a-bus ridership of 20 people per Saturday, the subsidy cost jumps to $79.42 per ride. Meanwhile, the weekday subsidy cost is $7.96 per ride.
30-minute routes
City hall considered returning to 30-minute routes in 2022 but realized that was impossible because routes have lengthened with the addition of Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital, the West Park development, Westheath development and Bradley Street expansion, Stephanson said.
Thirty-minute routes could be achieved by adding another route, but that would cost $160,000 annually with existing buses.
Bus shelters
There are four transit routes and 180 separate bus stops, with 14 stops having a bus shelter and bench, six stops with shelters, 33 stops with benches, and 127 stops with bus signs, Stephanson said.
Locations for benches are chosen based on visibility and routes with higher ridership. Benches cost $1,500 to $3,000 each, plus installation.
The city has one bus shelter in inventory, while the remaining 13 are in excellent condition, he added. New shelters, including installation, are $16,000. City hall is considering adding a shelter in front of Giant Tiger once Yara Centre is added to the route.
Transit survey
A transit survey in the fall revealed 77 per cent of 476 respondents used fixed-route service, while 14 per cent used the Saturday dial-a-ride service that was implemented this year on a one-year trial basis, Stephanson said.
When asked about dial-a-bus service versus regular fixed service, 63 per cent of respondents favoured the latter option.
The survey also revealed that customers want improved service hours on weekdays and Saturdays, with some requesting Sunday service, said Stephanson. However, little data is available to understand ridership when city transit last expanded hours in 2014.
A final highlight of the survey is that several areas of the city are underserved by public transit, with Yara Centre identified as the most prominent location.
City hall plans to add that venue to the existing routes, he added, although it presents challenges due to its remote location and lack of options for access.
The next city council meeting is Monday, Jan. 10.
