Transit overhaul leaving some riders with timed-out transfers

In the wake of a massive Winnipeg Transit route overhaul that relies heavily on bus transfers, some riders are calling for more time to make their connections on one payment.

Regular rider Max Schreckenbach said there have been about five or six occasions when he just narrowly made it in time to complete a transfer, or just missed that window, while riding from downtown to destinations at the edge of the city.

“If you (get a) transfer at the beginning of the route, by the time you get off and then onto another bus, especially if you’ve got two transfers, I’ve been real tight on the window a couple of times (and sometimes) even have gone over,” said Schreckenbach.

In one case, he required two transfers to leave downtown during rush hour and reach a destination in the Waverley West area, he said, which led the allowable time to expire.

Transit’s website notes a transfer, which allows the user to board a subsequent bus without paying an additional charge, must be requested at the time the initial fare is paid. It is then valid for 75 minutes on any regular bus route, including return trips.

Schreckenbach said he thinks transit’s new primary network, which was implemented on June 29, is overall easier to use than Transit’s previous route system. However, he is concerned transfers that expire too soon could prove a deterrent to some riders.

“It would be nice if (bus travel) was quicker, with dedicated bus lanes… but until we get there, extending the transfer window is sort of a short-term thing we can do right now… If I’m making one trip, I should be able to get there on one ticket,” he said.

Transit’s new network requires more Winnipeg bus riders to rely on transfers to reach their destinations. Unlike previous routes that often meandered from outlying areas to the downtown, the service’s new “spine-and-feeder” model uses feeder routes in more remote areas to connect with direct spines along major corridors.

A city councillor is now calling for Winnipeg Transit to consider extending the transfer ticket window to 90 minutes to address the concern.

“In a world in which we are now encouraging and, in fact, requiring much more transferring, shouldn’t we be more generous in allowing people a (longer) time frame to transfer? That’s the whole philosophy of the new system,” said Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital).

Mayes has submitted a motion that asks city council’s public works committee to have Transit “evaluate and extend” the time period during which transfer tickets are valid.

Mayes said he’s not sure how much the change might cost in lost fare revenue but said some investment may be warranted to make things easier for riders.

“Surely, our goal isn’t… (that) if we can make you wait long enough, we can make you pay a second time,” he said.

The head of council’s public works committee said the city needs to take a closer look at why some bus rides are taking so long to complete before committing to any changes.

“I’d like Transit to investigate that and I’d like to understand what the implications are. Obviously, we want people to make their transfers in a timely manner… I would like to see people be able to make their transfers in 75 minutes or less,” said Coun. Janice Lukes.

Lukes (Waverley West) said Transit should determine whether construction delays or other temporary issues are extending the length of some bus trips or if more permanent elements of the system are involved.

She said the cost of extending the time allotted to board a subsequent bus must also be considered.

“Transfers are the foundation of this new system. So, if this is something that is percolating up as a potential glitch, absolutely, we have to address this because we’re not changing the fact that we’re doing transfers. If we need to make adjustments, we will,” she said.

Winnipeg Transit declined a request for comment Thursday.

In an email, Transit spokeswoman Megan Benedictson declined comment on the motion itself. The statement noted transfer times did not change with the launch of the primary transit network and have been limited to 75 minutes “for quite some time.”

Benedictson said Transit has received “some complaints” about the length of its transfer time.

The Riel Community Committee will consider Mayes’ motion next Thursday.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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