The great game-day deliberation continues

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/06/2013 (4456 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I can’t be absolutely sure because I was only able to check every five minutes all afternoon, but I’m going to suggest that Winnipeg Transit finally posted updated transit information for Bomber game days at 4:40 p.m. Tuesday. I’ll let you decide whether, based on previous commentary, that was “urgent” enough.

The information posted on its site is helpful, although I did find it a bit incomplete. And the presentation is very cumbersome.

For example, it did not contain information about the temporary diamond lanes (open buses and bicycles only) that will be established to help get buses into and out of the campus on game days. That information was contained in a great story by WFP reporter extraordinaire Bartley Kives. The diamond lanes will be in effect on Bishop Grandin and University Crescent. Why is that information important? Consider my dilemma.

My family has a number of transit options. We could jump on a 161-Investors Group Field express bus on the transitway near Confusion Corner that goes from Jubilee (end of transitway) to the U of M campus without making a stop. Winnipeg Transit will start running those buses every 15 minutes starting at 5:30 p.m. However, there are no diamond lanes on Pembina Highway, so it’s quite likely this “express” route will be anything but.

A better option may be to take the Route 3 Super Express Bus from the St. Vital Arena (on St. Anne’s Road just south of Bishop Grandin). This is appealing because there are supposed to be temporary diamond lanes on Bishop Grandin that should help funnel the express buses onto Pembina Highway and then University Crescent.

The small point here is that more complete information would help people figure out the best route to take.

The Investors Group Field website, which is really just an extension of the Bomber site, still contains no information about transit routes in and out of the campus. On the home page, there is a box to click for transit information. However, all that is contained there is a map showing parking options on campus. There appears to be a spot where transit information is supposed to go, but there is currently nothing there — not even a link back to the Winnipeg Transit site. 

I’m also a bit confused by the fact that all the express transit service begins at 5:30 p.m. Depending on which of the 10 express park and ride options you choose, it is easy to see how it would be 30 minutes or more before the buses would arrive at the Fort Garry campus. That puts the express buses right in the teeth of the busiest traffic on game day. Would it be beneficial to start some of the express routes at 5 p.m. for the real keeners? If you are riding express routes from Kildonan Place, McPhillips Street Station or Assiniboia Downs, a 5 p.m. departure might make sense.

Lastly, as a suggestion, wouldn’t it make sense to create a space on the IGF site that allows bars and restaurants to advertise if they offer game-day parking and shuttle services to the game? Right now, it’s hard to find that information.

A final decision on transit options has yet to be made at my house. I’m sure, like me, you can hardly wait to hear what route we choose.