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City vows adjustments to decrease buses passing by riders
‘It’s really defeating’: Transit pass-ups up from last year
RYAN Nother says showing up at the bus stop on time has repeatedly failed to secure him a ride home.
That’s because F6 buses regularly pass by the stop at Osborne and Mulvey, already full of passengers, when he’s trying to return home from work, Nother said.
“It’s really defeating. It feels like you can tolerate it from time to time. But, when it happens so frequently, it feels like no one cares and they’re not trying to fix it,” he said.
On some occasions, two or more consecutive buses have passed by the stop while leaving passengers waiting, making the additional wait futile, he said.
He says his family is now paying hundreds of dollars more each month for ride-hailing services, such as Uber and Lyft, to complete their commutes, and reluctantly planning to buy a vehicle.
“It’s not something we were looking forward to doing. It’s not an expense that we really need. (Transit is) just not something we can rely on anymore,” said Nother.
The number of full Winnipeg buses that pass by waiting riders grew this fall. Between September and November, there were 6,971 pass-ups, compared to 5,779 during the same period last year.
The overall number is down from what riders experienced during the year prior to the pandemic, when 8,297 pass-ups took place during the same stretch of 2019.
Nother said he noticed a significant increase in pass-ups at his stop after a new primary transit network took effect June 29, which overhauled virtually every local route.
“Prior to that, it would be a very rare occasion when it would happen. It seems like there are more buses scheduled (now) but they’re not successful in actually appearing (and picking up passengers),” said Nother. “With the winter temperatures, I’m not willing to wait 40 minutes for another bus to maybe come.”
The recent pass-up increase is related to this year’s return to 100 per cent service levels on Transit routes, after service was reduced during the pandemic, according to the head of the union for Winnipeg Transit drivers.
“We were still on a reduced service (last year) so it’s difficult to assess (the trend). Obviously, every person passed up is bad for the service. You don’t ever want to leave anybody behind,” said Chris Scott, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505.
He said passing by riders is stressful for drivers, who are typically the first to receive complaints about the practice.
“Every time a bus is full and can’t pick up people, there’s a potential for an escalating confrontation with the (driver of the) next bus that is able to take on that passenger or passengers that are missed,” said Scott.
Transit data shows the number of pass-ups typically rises in September, when more people return to their fall routines and tend to ride buses during peak periods. The service also notes ridership has seen a general, gradual recovery after plummeting during the pandemic.
Earlier this month, however, Transit noted ridership slipped to 89 per cent of 2019 levels by Nov. 30, down from 95 per cent of that amount throughout 2024.
A Transit official said service changes are underway that aim to reduce the number of pass-ups as much as possible, including by shifting resources to the busiest routes.
“Pass-ups are obviously something we don’t like having so… we already are making adjustments to try to deal with that,” said Bjorn Radstrom, Winnipeg Transit’s manager of service development.
The changes include swapping regular and articulated buses between routes based
on passenger counts, since a 40-foot bus can seat 38 people and an articulated (bendy) bus can seat 65. Transit’s winter schedule took effect Dec. 14, bringing in some tweaks, said Radstrom.
Transit will also try to educate riders to ensure they choose the most efficient routes they can. Many passengers still choose routes similar to ones they rode before the network overhaul, instead of the most efficient current options, which can create unexpected crowding, said Radstrom.
“Some of this still does have to do with the learning curve that people are having with the new network… a lot of people, instead of planning a trip using Navigo or the Transit app or calling 311 for some help, they’ll just walk to the usual bus stop that they’re used to… they end up taking the bus that’s least suited to them, that could be one of the more crowded buses,” he said.
For example, he said many riders still take Blue Line buses to leave University of Manitoba, even though there are better routes available to reach their destinations.
Radstrom said some increase in passups was expected as riders learn the new network.
Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, said it’s positive that the number of pass-ups remains below pre-pandemic levels, though she understands every missed bus causes frustration for riders.
“Pass-ups are concerning, period,” said Lukes (Waverley West).
The city has ordered 30 more buses, including some larger, articulated ones, which should offer some relief when they arrive in January, she said.
joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca X: @joyanne_pursaga