Curtain rising on long-overdue transit overhaul; will traffic-weary drivers hop aboard?

Big changes are coming to Winnipeg Transit this weekend. And depending on who you are and where you live, you’ll either love or hate them.

The city is launching its new Primary Transit Network on Sunday, a reimagined bus system that aims to simplify routes, improve frequency and make using transit more reliable.

That means straighter lines, faster service and buses arriving at least every 15 minutes along major routes.

But it also means fewer bus stops, more walking for some, and uncertainty about how much will really change — and for whom.

Transit officials say it’s about building a “network that works.” After years of plummeting ridership, sluggish service and outdated routes that tried to be everything to everyone — yet wound up serving few efficiently — it’s hard to argue they’re wrong.

The system, as it was, didn’t work well. Buses were frequently late, often so crowded drivers couldn’t pick up new riders or, in some cases, didn’t show up at all.

The question now is: will the new spine-and-feeder network, as it’s called, improve things enough to convince more people to get out of their cars and into buses? Maybe.

The Primary Transit Network is based on a simple concept: people are more likely to use transit if it’s fast, frequent and reliable. That means fewer spaghetti-like routes snaking through neighbourhoods, and more direct — and faster — service along major corridors.

Instead of trying to get the bus as close as possible to people’s front doors, the city is focusing on moving riders quickly and consistently along high-demand corridors — Pembina, Portage, Main, Regent — and building the rest of the network around that.

The overall number of service hours will remain the same. But there will be more hours of service on major routes and fewer hours on others.

Done right, it could be transformational. Winnipeg has long lagged behind other Canadian cities when it comes to modernizing transit. While others have moved toward grid systems, rapid transit and frequency-based service, Winnipeg has been largely stuck with a downtown-centric model designed for the 1970s.

The new grid system shifts that. There will now be more direct routes along major lines that will be faster and more reliable.

That kind of change matters — especially for low-income workers, shift workers, and students who can’t afford to be 20 minutes late because their transfer didn’t show up.

But change of this magnitude is rarely painless.

Under the new system, the total number of bus stops will drop by just over 1,200. There are currently about 5,200 stops throughout the city. Transit is removing approximately 1,700 of those, and adding some 460 new ones.

That’s going to frustrate some people, especially seniors, people with mobility issues and families who have relied on a nearby stop for years. They may have to walk a few minutes longer to get to another.

In a city with harsh winters, icy sidewalks and patchy snow clearing, that’s not a small issue.

By contrast, others may have a bus stop where they didn’t have one before.

Transit is also promising improved bus-stop infrastructure — a critical improvement in a cold winter city such as Winnipeg.

Transit’s position is that greater frequency and reliability will more than make up for longer walks. If people can trust their bus will show up and get them where they need to go on time, more of them will use it.

The overall goal is to get more people to see transit as a viable alternative to driving. That’s been a tough sell in this car-culture town where transit has long been viewed for many as a last resort rather than a first option.

Will the new network change that? It could, over time. If buses show up every 10 to 15 minutes on major routes as advertised and get you where you’re going on time, that’s a pretty compelling argument to leave the car at home.

But if people are still waiting 20 minutes (or more) in -25 C only to see their bus sail past because it’s full or running late, they won’t come back.

The new network is a necessary — and bold — step toward building a modern transit system. But it won’t succeed on maps and slogans alone. It needs political will, stable funding and a commitment to making transit more than just a backup plan.

Winnipeggers should give this redesign a chance. It’s the most thoughtful reform to the city’s transit system in generations.

But it’s just the start. If the city wants to win back riders — and build a transit system that works for the future — this has to be the beginning of a much bigger investment.

Transit has pledged to make adjustments to the system after one year and continue tweaking it thereafter.

It sounds good on paper. We’ll see how well the rubber meets the road next week.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca