City replacing glass with polycarbonate at some bus shelters

The city is installing impact-resistant polycarbonate panels at 30 high-use bus shelters as a pilot project.

The material is 250 times more impact resistant than safety glass and is already used by several other Canadian transit systems, the City of Winnipeg said in a news release Wednesday. It will make shelters safer and more weather-resistant, Mayor Scott Gillingham said in the release.

The city has spent more than $1 million replacing broken shelter glass since 2020. Polycarbonate costs about 15 per cent more than safety glass, the release said.

Winnipeg Transit crews have refitted three shelters with the material and repaired glass panels at 70 locations in recent weeks, the city said.

“New council-approved encampment regulations state that transit shelters cannot be used for camping or storage, ensuring they remain accessible and functional for riders at all times of the year,” the release said.

“We will evaluate the on-street performance of polycarbonate through the winter months. If successful, there is the potential to expand the pilot project to more shelters in 2026.”