Winnipeg Transit

Winnipeg Transit is the public transit agency in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It operates bus services and is owned by the City of Winnipeg government. In operation for over 130 years, it currently employs over 1,300 people and operates over 600 buses to more than 6,000 bus stops within the city limits. It carries more than 170,000 passengers weekdays[2] and has 13.6% of the transportation mode split in the Winnipeg CMA at the 2016 Census.[3]

Winnipeg Transit
A Winnipeg transit bus
Founded1882
Headquarters421 Osborne Street
Service areaWinnipeg, Manitoba
Service typePublic Transit
Routes90 routes[1]
Stops5,170 stops[1]
DepotsFort Rouge Garage
Brandon Garage
North Garage
Fleet640 buses[1]
Daily ridership170,000+
Annual ridership48,409,060 (2018)[1]
Fuel typeDiesel
OperatorCity of Winnipeg
ManagerGreg Ewankiw
Websitewww.winnipegtransit.com
Inside a Winnipeg bus

History

1882–1899: Winnipeg Street Railway Company

Public transit in Winnipeg began in 1882 with the horse-drawn Winnipeg Street Railway Company (WSR) under the direction of Toronto businessman Albert William Austin. The WSR experimented with electric cars in 1891, but the city gave the electric rights in 1892 to the competing Winnipeg Electric Street Railway Company (WESR), headed by William Mackenzie and James Ross of Montreal. The width of Winnipeg's main streets allowed both companies to operate simultaneously. Austin's company lost 68 horses to a disastrous fire in 1893. He tried to fight for exclusive street railway rights in court, all the way to the Privy Council in London, but after losing his case, he sold almost all of its assets to the WESR for $175,000 in 1894.[4]

Horse car operations ended the next day, except for the Kennedy Street line, which city council required to operate for another six weeks. Austin kept the Elm Park horse-car line to operate as a private venture; his company had opened the park in the 1890s to drum up business on the line during off-peak times.[5] With the ending of a price war between the two companies, fares doubled, from 50 up to 25 tickets for a dollar, or 5¢ cash.

The WESR continued to expand its lines, its inventory of rolling stock, and its car barns. It bought the Manitoba Electric & Gas Light Company for $400,000 in 1898, changed line voltage from 250 to the standard 550 volts in 1899.

1904–1924: Winnipeg Electric Railway
Winnipeg interurban lines
Lines c. 1930
 
 Selkirk
Stonewall
Stony Mountain
Master Junction
 Middle Church
Winnipeg
Charleswood
St. Charles
Headingley
University of Manitoba
 St. Hubert
City
Interurban
trackage

The Winnipeg General Power Company was incorporated by officers of the WESR in 1902, and amalgamated with the railway company in 1904. The combined company adopted a new name, the Winnipeg Electric Railway Company (WER), and now controlled all street railway, electric power, and gas utilities in the city.

The Suburban Rapid Transit Company, incorporated on March 1, 1902[6] operated west of Winnipeg along Portage Avenue, inaugurating a line as far as Charleswood in 1903, and extended to 'Lot 112 St. Charles' in October 1904.[7] It initially leased cars and bought power from the WESR. It was bought up by the amalgamated WER in 1905, which finished expansion of its line to the village of Headingley by the end of the year.

The Winnipeg, Selkirk & Lake Winnipeg Railway, an interurban electric transit company incorporated in 1900, operated cars from the WESR's Main Street terminal to the town of Selkirk, with a later spur line from West St Paul to Stonewall. Its stock was bought by the WESR in 1906, although it continued to operate as an independent company (to be spun off much later as Beaver Bus Lines).

Also in 1906, a hydroelectric plant was completed in Pinawa,[8] and streetcars started operating on Sundays, following a June 28 plebiscite with 2,891 For and 1,647 Against the Sunday Streetcar Bylaw.[9][10][11]

Electric Railway Chambers Winnipeg

The company did well during the economic boom of the early 1900s, and built a new headquarters in the eleven-storey Electric Railway Chambers building at Notre Dame Avenue and Albert Street in 1911–13.[12] The Company occupied the basement and the first two floors and leased out the remaining space to other tenants.

In 1914, the Public Utilities Commission ordered the WER to start collecting fares on a pay-as-you-enter system (PAYE), which required some rebuilding of cars.[13] PAYE was implemented beginning May 27, 1914.[14]

From 1914 to 1915, the WER would start to experience competition from jitneys, privately owned taxi cabs. The financial pressures of this competition, tensions with the Public Utilities Commission about route planning, complaints regarding the poor state of rolling stock all led to a crisis in 1918. Negotiations with the city led to a repealing of the jitney bylaw, some route changes, a program of rebuilding old trolley cars, and the first appearance of motor buses in Winnipeg. The company was also affected by the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919.

A terrible explosion and fire at the Main Street car barn on April 7, 1920,[15] after which some replacement rolling stock was bought from the Twin City Rapid Transit Company of Minneapolis (most of the WER's stock had been built by the company in Winnipeg, or by the Ottawa Car Company).[16]

The Winnipeg Electric Railway Co. took out a full-page ad in September 1920, titled That The Public May Know The Facts, to state the Company's side of being forced by the Public Utilities Commission and the City of Winnipeg to remove their tracks in the north city limits area.[17]

In 1921 it also bought some Birney Safety Cars from Preston Car & Coach, which would start service in 1923 after delays caused by controversy over the safety of the one-man cars.[16] Increasing competition with the automobile and the post-war economic slump led to the company rebuilding the rest of its own fleet as one-man cars.

1924–1953: Winnipeg Electric Company

On March 13, 1924, the Manitoba Legislature passed a Bill changing the company's name to the Winnipeg Electric Company. The Company was allowed to increase its number of Board members from 9 to 12.[18]

WECo started the first modern trolleybus service in Western Canada November 21, 1938, on Sargent Avenue, using 6 vehicles on a 2½-mile route. The fleet and system were expanded during and after World War II, reaching a peak of 162 vehicles and 70 route miles from 1956-1959.

In January 1940, William Carter was named the new President of Winnipeg Electric Company.[19]

During the summer of 1948, a Public Utility Board inquiry took place questioning the depreciation costs claimed by WECo. and its predecessors on streetcar equipment. This led to a difference of $495,000, part of which WECo. overclaimed $363,504, overestimated $30,000 for snow removal costs, and didn't include a $99,000 "saving" on conversion to trolleybuses.[20]

The River Ave. bus route was extended and its name changed to Crescent in October 1949 after a six-month battle over the routing.[21]

1953–1960: Greater Winnipeg Transit Commission

A referendum was conducted on March 25, 1953, where only the electorate in the city proper were eligible to vote. It created the Greater Winnipeg Transit Commission (GWTC) because the privately-owned Winnipeg Electric Company did not want to operate the transit system any longer. An editorial in the Trib said:

"In the Referendum on Wednesday, Winnipeg electors stated emphatically that they want the mass transit facilities of the metropolitan area owned and operated by the people of Greater Winnipeg".[22]

Within a month of the Referendum, the Act to create the GWTC was passed by the Manitoba Legislature.[23][24] The Greater Winnipeg Transit Commission Act was proclaimed into law, effective May 1, 1953.[25] A 5% Gross Revenue Tax was replaced by a Seat Mile Tax in the amount of "one thirtieth cent per mile".[26]

End of streetcar operation was on Monday September 19, 1955.[27] Traffic engineers wanted access to the CPR subway (at Higgins and Main) to allow for regular vehicular traffic. Up until September 19th, two lanes were exclusively used for streetcar traffic.[28] Just as in other jurisdictions, there was proof that the oil industry conspired to get rid of the electric streetcars because it prevented more people from purchasing automobiles.

Limited stop bus service was introduced on the Portage route starting November 4, 1957. A 5-cent premium fare was charged to passengers.[29] By May, 1960 GWTC had tweaked the Portage Express and added the Ness Express routes. Mylar signs using white text on a red background indicated to passengers the bus was Express rather than a local bus.[30]

1961–1971: Metro Winnipeg Transit

Metro Winnipeg Transit took over responsibility for area public transit on January 1, 1961, managed by D. I. MacDonald.[31] On the eve of this takeover, the Greater Winnipeg Transit Commission suggested consideration of a rapid transit subway for Winnipeg, but agreed it would be premature to plan for immediate construction.[32]

In October 1962 a report on transit was released which recommended scrapping the idea of a "downtown bus terminal" for Winnipeg Transit. It also recommended a price reduction of 50 cents for monthly passes.[33] Also Metro offered to purchase White Ribbon Bus Lines fleet of 11 diesel buses for C$200,000. White Ribbon served the City of Transcona.[34]

As part of the new Metro administration, a metropolitan development plan, which took several years to complete, was begun in 1962.[35] The transportation component, the Winnipeg Area Transportation Study, whose recommendations were published in January 1969, called for five freeways, a suburban beltway, and a 5.4-mile underground subway.

Metro Winnipeg Transit began to get rid of the Zone Fare system in early 1963 in some areas.[36] coun. Bernie Wolfe led a campaign against Zone Fares, saying that this extra fare was encouraging car pooling in the Ft. Garry area. Abolishing the Zone Fare would result in a loss of $130,000 revenue annually to the Transit Dep't.[37]

Bus fares were raised from 15 cents to 25 cents in April 1969.[38]

In 1969 the main transit garage was moved from Assiniboine Avenue to a new location on south Osborne St.[39]

During the 1960s Metro Winnipeg Transit was phasing out the trolleybus fleet. At one point Winnipeg City Council begged Metro to stop this phase out, but it continued nonetheless.The last trolleybus ran on October 30, 1970; the vehicle used, 1768, is preserved. [40]

In August 1970 several River Heights residents opposed a jointly managed Unibus shuttle service for University of Manitoba students and in December 1970 a legal case was opened at the Manitoba Court of Queens Bench, filed by a Lindsay Street (River Heights) resident claiming that Metro Transit, under the Metropolitan Winnipeg Act of 1960, had no authority to operate the Unibus service.[41] Riding Unibus would save students from paying the regular adult fare, instead they would pay $20 for six months' use. However, residents were upset that the routes would depreciate housing where the buses traversed and that the service was only available to University students.[42] In September 1971, about two weeks before the civic election that would replace Metro with "Unicity" government, 60 residents showed up to the last Metro Council meeting to protest the running of Unibus service in the Riverview area, complaining of bus traffic on Balfour, Maplewood, and Casey streets.[43]

From the early 1970s to the early 1980s, at the behest of Metro, a shuttle service to Birds Hill Provincial Park was instituted. Fares were 75 cents for Adults, 50 cents for Seniors. However, by the early 1980s, Winnipeg Transit said they were not making enough on the fares to pay for the shuttle, and it was cancelled in 1983.[44][45]

Dial-A-Bus was studied as early as 1971 as a way to transport passengers from very low density suburban neighbourhoods.[46]

1972–present: Winnipeg Transit
A Winnipeg bus still in the older transit orange and cream paint scheme

With the creation of the unified City of Winnipeg on January 1, 1972, Metro Transit became Winnipeg Transit.

A FREE shuttle service, DASH (Downtown Area SHuttle), operating on 5 min. headways Mon.-Fri. between 9 am and 4 pm, throughout the Central Business District of downtown Winnipeg began in February 1975.[47]

In early 1976 Winnipeg Transit's union, ATU 1505, had not signed a new contract. Workers went off the job starting January 26, 1976. The Mayor of Winnipeg and Premier of Manitoba were powerless in stopping the transit strike.[48] The strike lasted for 47-days and ended after ratification by the Union on March 12.[49] Council voted 41-1 (out of a nominal 50 members) the day prior to agree to the new 17-month contract. Councillor Florence Pierce (ICEC - Glenlawn) was the only Councillor present who voted against the new contract.[50] The effects of the strike left many people stranded or unable to travel to work or for medical appointments. The issues were mainly wage and work scheduling-related.[51] The Board of Commissioners had stated that if the ATU wins a pay increase, certain routes may be cancelled and a 10 cent far implemented on the D.A.S.H. (now Downtown Spirit) route and Dial-A-Bus service to St. Norbert & Ft. Richmond cancelled. Added Mr. D. I. MacDonald:

It may be necessary to review the level of transit service provided, due to the rapid escalation of transit costs, to the point where the transit deficit is now a major budget item.[50]

In the late 1970s Winnipeg Transit paid an outside design firm to create a new logo for the transit department, although it wasn't until two or three years later when bus stops begun to feature the new design.[52]

Winnipeg Transit installed a modern two-way radio system, capable of addressing a specific bus in 1982. The City put forward $2.5 M and the Federal gov't $90,000 for the project.[53]

In 1982, Winnipeg Transit refurbished 8 GM New Look buses that were originally built in the early 1960s rather than purchasing brand new buses. From 1984 onwards and for the next six years, Winnipeg Transit would refurbish 10 buses annually. When Edmonton and Calgary completed the first phase of their light rail (LRT) systems in the early 1980s, they found that they needed fewer diesel buses. They sold some of them to Winnipeg Transit, which in turn bought 10 double-rear-door Flyer models from Edmonton (380 series) at a cost of $20,000 each, and another nine9 GM New Look buses from Calgary (290 series) at a cost of $35,000 each.[54] The Edmonton buses had red seats and featured double rear doors. The Edmonton buses were sold off by 1985.

In April 1982 the Works and Operations Committee awarded Mediacom, Inc. a contract to build and maintain 200 transit shelters with advertising for a period of 15 years.[55]

During the week of September 23, 1982, Winnipeg Transit tested a GM-built articulated bus on the Portage and Pembina routes. The bus, numbered 900, was constructed from parts of a GM New Look with a Classic front end. It was destined to operate as part of the Mississauga Transit fleet.[56]

Winnipeg Transit purchased 20 electronic fareboxes from GFI in 1985 at the cost of C$7,000 each to eliminate theft of dollar bills by bus operators.[57] However, the boxes were incompatible with the one dollar loonie coin introduced in 1987 and were then removed from service.

During the summer of 1985 all bus stops in Winnipeg were replaced with new ones bearing a telephone number that started with 235-. When a transit passenger called this number he/she would hear a computerized female voice give the current time, and the transit routes and times those routes passed through that particular stop. Telebus, which is based on software by Teleride Corporation, was officially launched in February 1986. Costs were shared 50-50 between the Province and City to pay the $1.3 million to set up the original system.[58] However, in 1987 all bus stop decals were replaced with the 287- telephone exchange.

After Calgary Transit's C-Train LRT expanded into the Northeast in April 1985, 30 brand new Flyer buses (600-630 series) were sold to Winnipeg and put into service in 1986. Calgary Transit had offered to sell 30 "slightly used" GM New Look buses to Winnipeg Transit, but the Province pressured the City to purchase the Flyer buses to support the provincially-owned Flyer Industries as a local manufacturer. Building new buses cost the City $5.4 million, $1.5 million more than it would have cost to purchase the "slightly used" Calgary vehicles.[59]

Graham Avenue Transit Mall in 2012

After several years delay, the Graham Avenue Transit Mall was completed over a two-year period 1994-95 at a cost of $5.7 million.[60]

The Winnipeg Free Press conducted a downtown idea contest in 1994, which Jeff Lowe won with an idea for a rail-based streetcar to serve the downtown Winnipeg area.[61] Subsequently, this idea was added to the CentrePlan report, the CentrePlan formed a "downtown connector" committee, of which a representative from Winnipeg Transit participated. In 1999 the Downtown BIZ had put forward a request for a feasibility study on a streetcar connector for downtown. However this did not happen until 2002. The subsequent report, which was never released, was very soft on recommending any form of connector service.

Since June 1995 Winnipeg Transit allowed non-directional transfers and were initially set for a 90 minute period.[62] When the electronic fareboxes were introduced in 2013, the transfer time was reduced to 75 minutes, making it somewhat difficult to accomplish errands that are further away or take up more time.

Beginning in September 1995 Winnipeg Transit designated Main St. between Higgins Ave. and Graham as a Bus Only lane during peak hours (7-9 am, 15h30-17h30 weekdays.)[63]

In September 2000 a new transit route concept was introduced, the SuperExpress. The idea behind the SuperExpress is to shuttle passengers who live in the outer suburbs (closer to the Perimeter Hwy.) faster than the normal Express routes. This was based on how the NYC MTA Bus system is organized. Originally introduced as the 61 University SuperExpress, it has since been extended to other routes, such as 25 Ness SuperExpress, 36 NorthWest SuperExpress.

Recent developments

In the early 21st century, the three levels of government made a deal to fund the development of three infrastructure projects: the Kenaston Underpass, Phase I of the Southwest Transit Corridor, and funding for expansion of the Floodway. The Kenaston Underpass was completed in the fall of 2006, the Floodway expansion project completed in 2010 and the Southwest Transit Corridor was completed in 2019.

It was announced in early 2007 that if 25 centimetres or more of snow were to fall, only seven mainline transit routes would operate.[64] Since then, Winnipeg Transit has devised a more detailed winter snow plan that has three phases.[65] In the first phase, the "Blue Snow Plan", most suburban and short-trip routes (including DART service) would not operate, and most other routes would operate on shortened or simplified routes. In the second phase, the "Red Snow Plan", transit service would be reduced to thirteen routes running along major arterial roads and serving downtown, major hospitals, and the airport. In the third phase, transit would cease to operate completely. Winnipeg Transit has not had to implement the snow plan as of September 2009.

On November 16, 2007, the federal, provincial, and municipal governments announced the Transit Improvement Program, in which it includes upgrades and improvements to existing infrastructure for buses, such as transit priority signals, transit-only lanes, and new bus shelters. In addition to an order of 33 new regular 40-foot low-floor buses, Winnipeg Transit also ordered 20 new 60-foot articulated Diesel-Electric Hybrid buses; the first bus was delivered by the end of 2007.[66] The test of the first articulated bus was not successful, and that part of the order was cancelled.[67]

In 2008, Winnipeg Transit added the "Next stop" program. "Next stop" announces the next bus stop in a computerized female voice, and shows the street name on a small display on the roof in the front of the bus. It also shows whether a stop has been requested by a passenger. The program was preceded by a phase where transit operators called out stops, which led to debate over whether this would distract drivers from the road.[68]

As of 2009, Telebus operates through one telephone number - 287-7433 or BUS-RIDE. Users can access information about buses stopping at a specific bus stop by entering the five-digit code located on the sign for that stop. The first number of the stop designates the municipal area the stop is located in (1 for the old City of Winnipeg, 5 for St. Boniface and St. Vital, etc.).

In 2010, installation of bicycle racks on buses was revived[69] (after earlier trials on route 18 in 1999, and on route 60 from 2000 to 2004 or 2006).[70][71][72] Thirty buses used on routes 160, 162, and 170 had two-place bike racks installed,[73] during summer months between May 1 and October 31. As of 2017, some transit users have been frustrated that the program is not dependable.[74] Starting in spring 2018, buses with bike racks will be identifiable in Winnipeg Transit's online scheduling system, Navigo.[75]

In 2012, Winnipeg Transit purchased 20 2003/2004-era New Flyer 60 ft (18.29 m) buses from OC Transpo for $53,000 each. After refurbishment between 2012 and 2014, WT began operating some of these buses, beginning with the 54 St. Mary's Express and 59 South St. Anne's Express routes on January 13, 2014.[76][77]

Winnipeg Transit introduced the Peggo electronic fare payment system in July 2016. This was designed to replace paper tickets and passes. However, the software used to update the balance on the cards has been problematic, sometimes causing the withdrawal of thousands of dollars from a passenger's credit card.[78][79][80]

Winnipeg Transit planned to install wi-fi on twelve buses as a trial to commence in March 2018. The purpose of adding wi-fi to buses is for quicker updates of passengers' Peggo cards. Currently, Peggo data is updated overnight while buses are in their garage. This has led to fare dispute issues for some passengers who loaded their cards online.[81]

It was estimated to cost WT $2.4 M annually to extend the free fare for children aged birth to 11 (currently age 5).[82]

A June 2019 Leger survey commissioned by the Canadian Urban Transit Association found that in Winnipeg alone, one in three survey respondents "think public transit is poorly developed in their area" and that more than half found "transit infrastructure in their community is outdated".[83][84]

Since late October 2019, Winnipeg Transit Inspectors have worn protective vests, to protect themselves if there are confrontations with passengers or others nearby.[85]

Pass ups

Since July 2019 Winnipeg Transit has been providing data as to on-time performance of all bus routes. This is part of the City's open data initiative. Recent data showed the top five worst on-time performance record as at September 2019: 11 Kildonan-Portage, 19 Marion-Logan-Notre Dame, 75 Crosstown East, 160, and 162/170 Richmond Express.[86]

Low Income Pass Program

The Low Income Pass Program was approved by Council at a Special meeting on October 24, 2019 14-1, with Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) voting against the idea. To qualify for the lower income monthly transit pass, one must be a client of EIA, have income lower than the income cut-off, or be an immigrant that has resided in Winnipeg for less than 12 months. In its first year, the low income Adult pass will cost $70.70. Passengers will have to apply beginning April 2020 for the first passes to be issued in May.[87]

WT currently sells 29,500 monthly passes.[88] Lower costs for a pass will increase (estimated) sales to 78,000 by 2024, putting an extra strain on transit buses as more passengers ride the system. Additional buses may be required to handle the extra load.[88]

2019 contract negotiations

From January 2019 to the fall of that year, ATU workers at Winnipeg Transit were without a contract. During the spring and summer there were two days of "free" transit where bus operators did not enforce fares. There were four votes on contracts, all of them voted down. The ATU said that while they did not want to go on strike (as in 1976), they might be forced to do so. Issues this time centered around safety issues since the February 14, 2017 murder of Irvine Fraser.

In mid-September University of Manitoba Students Union expressed their support for the transit union's issues, but feared that a major transit strike would cause undue hardship on students as the University of Manitoba is Winnipeg Transit's second most important trip attractor, besides downtown Winnipeg.[89]

A new 48-month contract was voted on, with 52% in favour of accepting the current offer.[90] It was subsequently approved by EPC on October 17,[91] and passed by Council one week later on October 24.[92] The new contract increased wages 1.25% (2020), 2% (2021), 1.75% (2022), and 2% (2023).[92]

Transit Master Plan

In May 2017, transit planner Jarrett Walker was invited by advocacy group Functional Transit Winnipeg to speak in Winnipeg on the topic of a Frequent Transit Network.[93][94] Jarrett travels to various cities to promote frequent transit as a priority over coverage.

Recently, WT received funding to redesign its transit system for the next quarter century. Called the Transit Master Plan, public consultations took place in March and April 2019,[95] with Draft Route Plans released in October of 2019.

The TMP came about because many passengers feel that many WT routes do not go where people need to go (work, school, shopping). Other issues involve:

  • Buses that do not operate frequently enough when people need the service such as late at night or on weekends.
  • Passengers experience buses that are early, late, don't show up at all (phantom buses).
  • Overcrowding is a problem on several routes. To help alleviate this issue, WT ordered 28 New Flyer 60 ft (18.29 m) buses, with delivery in 2019. These buses will be used on the BLUE BRT route, which begun in April 2020.
  • Peggo, the electronic fare card system introduced in 2016, has been plagued by software glitches.
  • Adult fares ($3.00 Cash, $102.05 Monthly) are considered high for those who are under-employed or unemployed. A Low Income Fare & Pass policy is currently being considered for implementation for the Spring of 2020.
  • Winnipeg Transit does not serve communities beyond the Perimeter Hwy (with the exception of St. Norbert). These include Headingley, Oakbank, East St. Paul and Niverville. The Transit Master Plan will examine how to serve these and other communities in the Winnipeg Metro Region.

The TMP process is designed to address the above issues.

Part of the Transit Master Plan may address the issue of serving communities beyond the Perimeter Highway.[96] In March 2019 the RM of Rosser urged Winnipeg Transit to extend its service between the RM and the growing CentrePort employment area.[97] Since then a wider study that is part of an updated Transportation Master Plan will examine ways extending service to exurban communities and introduce Park & Ride facilities on major thoroughfares near the Perimeter Hwy.[98]

A Public Engagement Report was published in July summarizing feedback from March and April of 2019.[99] On October 25, 2019 the Phase II Draft report of the Transit Master Plan was released. It shows a total redesign of transit routes, many of them operating in a straight line, some no longer operating within the downtown Winnipeg area, some others on other roads.[100] For example, routes 'A' (SW Transitway-Portage), 'B' (Main-St. Mary's), and 'C' (Grant-Regent) are designated rapid transit. The 55 St. Anne's would no longer travel west beyond the Univ. of Winnipeg, and would not travel south on Main St. and St. Mary's Rd. which already duplicates the 14 St. Mary's route. Instead a route 'G' (St. Anne's-Univ. of Winnipeg) would continue eastward over the Provencher Bridge to Rue Des Meurons and head south till it meets with St. Anne's Rd.[101]

Funding for the $2.6 million Transit Master Plan comes from the federally administered Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.[102]

Rapid transit
Main article: Winnipeg RT

In response to an expressway plan published in 1957 that was sponsored by the Downtown Winnipeg Association, a city councillor sponsored the hiring of Norman D. Wilson to design a subway plan for the greater Winnipeg area. This plan was published on April 11, 1959[103] as the Future Development of the Greater Winnipeg Transit System.[104]

In the late 1960s, as part of the Greater Winnipeg Development Plan, the Winnipeg Area Transportation Study (WATS) recommended a 5.4 miles (8.7 km) underground subway line between Queen St. in St. James to Hespeler Avenue in Elmwood.

Winnipeg Transit's official policy since 1973 has been to promote Bus Rapid Transit as the mode of choice for the Southwest Transit Corridor.

By the mid-2000s, Mayor Sam Katz had wanted to move the rapid transit situation forward. He commissioned several studies:[105]Rapid Transit Task Force (2005), Transportation Authority Study (2009), LRT Conversion Study (2009-10), Winnipeg Transportation Strategy (2010).

On April 8, 2012, service on Phase one of Winnipeg's bus rapid transit line; the Southwest Transitway began. All RT routes terminate at Balmoral Station in Downtown Winnipeg (Except Route 185), next to the University of Winnipeg. RT routes then run along the Graham Avenue Transit Mall to Main Street, then south down Queen Elizabeth Way to Stradbrook Avenue where buses enter the 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) Southwest Transitway and travel southwest.

There are four stations on the Southwest Transitway; Harkness Station, Osborne Station, Fort Rouge Station, and Jubilee Station.

Buses enter/exit the Southwest Transitway either just past Osborne Station or the Jubilee Overpass and continue to their final destinations in South Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba or Investors Group Field. The Cost of Phase one was 138 million dollars.[106]

Phase Two will see the Southwest Transitway extended south from the Jubilee Overpass to Bison Drive just west of the University of Manitoba. The cost for the second phase is around 408 million dollars. Construction is underway, with completion and initial operation beginning April 8, 2020.

Winnipeg Transit also is looking at other corridors for the city including the East Corridor to Transcona, as well as a proposed West Corridor, along Portage Avenue to Polo Park, with a spur line to the airport.[107]

During the Summer of 2018, road inspections deemed it necessary to repave parts of the SWBRT, a mere six years after the opening of Phase I. The repaving project cost $700,000.[108]

Phase 2 of the Southwest Transitway was scheduled to open April 8, 2020.

Operations
Bus stop at the University of Manitoba, showing typical signage

Winnipeg Transit has a staff of 1,366, of whom 950 are bus operators.

There are about 6,000 bus stops across the Greater Winnipeg area, 800 bus shelters and 1,500 transit benches.

To facilitate use of the system, Winnipeg Transit's web site provides a service called Navigo[109] which allows users to specify a starting location and destination (either by address, Winnipeg landmark, or intersection) and the desired time of arrival or departure (specified as "before" or "after"). It then produces all the available bus routes that meet the criteria, estimating how much time is spent walking to bus stops and waiting for buses, as well as how many transfers are required to arrive at the destination.

Fleet

Winnipeg Transit has a fleet of approximately 630 New Flyer Industries buses. The fleet includes: 20 low floor buses, 60 ft (18.29 m) long (originally owned by OC Transpo); over 500 low floor buses, 40 ft (12.19 m) long; 34 low floor buses, 30 ft (9.14 m) long.

WT is in the process of receiving 28 60 ft (18.29 m) buses artics. (numbered 371-399) from New Flyer that will be delivered in the latter half of 2019.[110]

Winnipeg Transit has a fleet of historic buses that have been restored by the Manitoba Transit Heritage Association.[111]

Facilities

Future
  • A new NE Transit Garage is to be built somewhere in East Kildonan, North Kildonan. Planning is made to accommodate the routing of the Eastern Transit Corridor. It would replace the current North Main Garage, built in the 1930s. The new Garage would cost (est.) $150 M (2019).[112]

Current
  • Winnipeg Transit Base & Fort Rouge Garage - 421 Osborne Street, built in 1969 on the site of the former Fort Rouge Streetcar Yard on Osborne Street[113]
  • North Main Garage - Main Street and Carruthers Avenue

Former
  • Winnipeg Electric Co Streetcar barn/trolley bus garage at Assiniboine Avenue between Fort Street and Main Street; used by buses and demolished to make way for Bonneycastle Park (c. 1971)[114] and site of the Street Railway Rink.
  • St. James Garage, Polo Park - Route 90 (461 Century Street), now a U-Haul Moving and Storage Facility.
  • North Main Car Barn northeast side along Main Street between Polson and Luxton Avenue (built in 1909 to store Selkirk and other city cars; was demolished[113] and now site of a Giant Tiger Supermarket (1441 Main Street).
  • Street Car Barn - south side of Portage Avenue near Carlton Street 1880s.

Routes
A "Downtown Spirit" bus
A bus running along Route number 56
Main article: List of Winnipeg bus routes

As of April 2020, Winnipeg Transit operates 90 routes. Of these, 22 are express (Express & SuperExpress) routes, 13 are Feeder routes running on the Southwest Transitway, 18 are regular routes connecting the city centre with the suburbs, 17 are suburban feeders, 13 are crosstown routes, 3 are Downtown Spirit connectors, and 3 are dial-a-ride transit (DART) routes.

Most routes serving downtown have an official route name as well as number, and are usually named based upon their main streets they travel on. (The exceptions are the Routes 53 and 56, which connect downtown with the northern section of St. Boniface). Some routes travel in two directions from downtown, each direction carrying the same number but different signage. Some routes' ultimate destinations also vary from trip to trip, and carry secondary signage to designate the specific sub-route. For instance, the route 16 Osborne (southbound) may have one of five different ultimate destinations depending on the time of day, day of the week, and intended route: two of these destinations (St. Vital Centre and Kingston Row) are in St. Vital, two (Southdale Centre and Island Lakes) are in St. Boniface, and one (Plaza Drive) is in Fort Garry.

Feeder routes are numbered in the 600 series, with the exception of routes 47, 65, and 66, which do not operate on the entire busway. Most routes operate to Downtown at the Balmoral Station, while some operate to a terminal at Rupert and Princess or Osborne Village. Some RT routes are express routes after they exit the Southwest Transitway when travelling outbound, while others operate as regular routes.

Most express routes also have official route names and connect downtown with either the suburbs or the industrial areas. Suburban express routes normally operate inbound in the morning and outbound in the afternoon, weekdays only, while routes connecting downtown with industrial areas operate as required.

Suburban routes do not enter the downtown core. They are scheduled according to customer demand; some only run during rush hour, while some run whenever transit is operating.

The three "Downtown Spirit" routes use smaller accessible buses and serve the city centre. Two connect Main Street, Broadway, the Exchange District, and The Forks, one running clockwise, the other counter-clockwise; the other connects the University of Winnipeg with the Graham Transit Mall and City Hall.

Many routes that do not have official names still may display signage. Route 53 has no official name but buses on the route use the signage "Norwood".

The DART routes serve communities in south Winnipeg. Three DART routes replace regular transit service to neighbourhoods (Riel/Plaza Drive, St. Norbert, and Southdale/Island Lakes) during times when demand for transit service is insufficient to justify running a regular bus route, while one DART route provides daytime service to residents of the northern section of St. Boniface.

Winnipeg Transit operates accessible buses on all routes.

Special event shuttles

During the Red River Ex annually in the month of June, Winnipeg Transit operates a shuttle between downtown Winnipeg and the Red River Ex grounds.

When the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are playing at Investors Group Field during the summer and early fall months, Winnipeg Transit operates several shuttle buses to and from the stadium. These routes are labeled with an X before the route number, and have a destination of "Stadium" (example: X60 Stadium).

For many decades Winnipeg Transit operated a shuttle bus between Winnipeg and Birds Hill Provincial Park for the annual Winnipeg Folk Festival held in July. However, they did not do this for the 2019 Folk Festival due to the possible strike by the ATU and because Winnipeg Transit did not win the competitive bid to provide this service.

Major bus terminals

Rapid Transit Stations

  • Balmoral Station
  • Harkness Station
  • Osborne Station
  • Fort Rouge Station
  • Jubilee Station
  • Beaumont Station
  • Seel Station
  • Clarence Station
  • Chevrier Station
  • Plaza Station
  • Chancellor Station
  • Southpark Station
  • Markham Station
  • Stadium Station
  • St. Norbert Station

"Civil Twilight", a song by Winnipeg rock band The Weakerthans from their 2007 album Reunion Tour, is sung from the point of view of a Winnipeg Transit driver whose route passes the house where he lived with his former significant other before the failure of their relationship.

gollark: It's meant to send "orbital bee strike" or something but the content type is wrong.
gollark: I see.
gollark: Again, dynamic DNS access token thingy?!
gollark: Unless I portforward polaris.apionet.irc (the one on the HNode™).
gollark: You don't have an IRC server though?

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Sources
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  • Darragh, Brian K. (2015). The Streetcars of Winnipeg: Our Forgotten Heritage. Victoria, BC: Friesen Press. ISBN 978-1-4602-4653-5
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