Working to improve public transit

Elmwood – East Kildonan

Aside from snow and ice concerns, one of the top topics my office receives phone calls and emails about is public transit. With good reason – a reliable transit system is a necessity for many people to get to work, recreation and daily errands. Even more than that, having quality public transit in a city benefits even those who don’t use it, since every trip taken by transit rather than by car is a net saving for the city in infrastructure costs.

When I say transit is important to me, I don’t just mean in the big picture for the city, I also mean personally. My family doesn’t own a car, so transit is a critical part of how I get around every day.

A few months ago, I scheduled a standing monthly meeting with the City of Winnipeg’s transit planners, so I could learn more about how transit works, find out what they’re working on and, importantly, share the feedback I’ve been receiving from the residents of Elmwood-East Kildonan.

One of the biggest takeaways for me has been the sheer complexity of operating a transit network. Our public transit system needs more than 600 buses and over 1,000 drivers to operate every day. Winnipeg Transit is constantly making small tweaks, on a daily basis even, in response to things such as mechanical issues, employees calling in sick, weather, wildlife and so much more, to keep buses running smoothly.

With the implementation of the new transit network, even more changes are being made in response to rider feedback. Some of these changes can be made immediately but others, especially those which require scheduling changes, may have to wait until the next major schedule revision, which happen every three months.

The next major changes to service are being implemented with the spring schedule change that comes into effect on April 12. Of note in our ward are:

• More frequency to the F8 schedule – More buses are being added to this route to better respond to demand and reduce crowded buses;

• Extended hours on more routes – The D10, D17, 38 and 43 routes in our area will now run after midnight, giving people more transit options later in the evening.

Do you use the Winnipeg Transit app? The system’s GPS issues have now been resolved, and a handy new feature has just been added – real-time location tracking, so you can see exactly where your bus is along its route.

In order to make our transit system the best it can be, we need people to report their issues and requests to 311. I want to hear from transit users on their experiences, both positive and negative, with specific, actionable feedback.

What are you experiencing with the new system? What’s working? What needs improvement? By sharing at my monthly meetings with transit officials, we can create a virtuous cycle of improvement for public transit. Please reach out to my office at www.emmadurandwood.ca or by calling 204-986-5195.