Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Vince Fedoroff

MODERNIZING THE SYSTEM – Sasha Pejcic (left), Stantec Consulting Ltd.’s transit advisory lead, and Whitehorse Transit manager Cheri Malo discuss the proposed master plan at this morning’s media briefing in Whitehorse.

Riders could avoid downtown trips under bus plan

There could be a long road of changes ahead for the city’s transit system if council moves ahead with a proposed master transit plan.

By Stephanie Waddell on June 19, 2018

There could be a long road of changes ahead for the city’s transit system if council moves ahead with a proposed master transit plan.

Envisioned are route and scheduling changes to provide more direct and frequent service.

There would also be technological upgrades to allow riders to pay fares by debit or credit card. As well, they could simply check their phone to make sure their bus is on time.

Meanwhile, traditional routes to the Lobird mobile home park and the Raven’s Ridge subdivision in the Kopper King area would end.

They would be replaced by a home-to-hub service where riders could request a ride to the nearest transit hub point to access the service.

The Handy Bus service would instead become a taxi scrip service where users would be subsidized a portion of the cost and could call a cab to get where they need to be.

As for the often-requested Sunday service, officials say the population base just isn’t there. Nor are the provisions needed in the current collective agreement for full service.

However, there’s potential down the road for a pilot project that could offer rides on a first-come, first-served, on-demand service.

The plan detailing all the changes was put forward to council Monday night, with members set to vote on it next week.

Stantec Consulting Ltd. began work on the plan last summer after having been awarded the $55,000 contract.

Addressing council last night, Sasha Pejcic, Stantec’s transit advisory lead, the plans propose a number of changes. It’s anticipated it would be revenue-neutral, given the projected four per cent increase in fare revenue anticipated.

“We could do a lot more with what we have today,” Pejcic said at a media briefing this morning. He later noted that the system would continue to run with 13 buses, as it does now.

Among the challenges in the system, Pejcic highlighted that:

• routes are complex with long travel times;

• the service isn’t well-positioned for the forecast demand that will be coming to the ever-growing Whistle Bend area;

• there’s low visibility and limited information provided to customers; and

• there’s low frequency on a number of routes.

“We should be able to serve more directly,” Pejcic said.

A layered approach to routes could allow for some to be running every 15 minutes during peak periods, he noted. In other cases, buses would run on a 30- or 60-minute schedule.

Pejcic went on to point out that the proposed routes and schedule outlined in the plan would provide hub areas for transfers at places like Yukon College and the Canada Games Centre.

Right now, the services is centred around the downtown area, with all routes coming into the city’s core.

That means, for example, that students heading from Porter Creek to Yukon College end up having to go out of the way downtown from Porter Creek, then back up the hill to the college.

With the new hub system, passengers would be able to transfer at various points without always having to travel downtown.

“All trips don’t have to go downtown anymore,” Pejcic said.

He went on to describe the home-to-hub service proposed for Lobird and Raven’s Ridge as “a different way to deliver service” in areas where traditional bus ridership levels are low.

This type of system has seen success in other communities and allows transit systems to be prudent with their resources, he said.

Meanwhile, the taxi scrip service is something Handy Bus customers have been seeking for some time, said Pejcic and transit manager Cheri Malo.

They highlighted consultation done with users and groups like the Golden Age Society and others.

Costing approximately $55 per trip, Pejcic noted the service just isn’t sustainable.

Moving to a taxi scrip would provide the service at a lower cost and give customers more flexibility when it comes to getting around the city.

As Pejcic noted as well, the conventional bus system is now fully accessible and able to accommodate a number of riders who had previously used the Handy Bus system.

Changes that would allow riders to check the schedule on their phone, pay by debit or credit card and so on are things many have come to expect with a transit system, and could help increase ridership as it makes things more convenient.

Malo stressed the importance of recognizing that people may choose different transportation options day-to-day depending on their plans and looking at how transit may work into that.

Maybe some commuters want to start riding their bike to work, but don’t want to have to climb the hill out of the downtown area to their neighbourhood at the end of the day. Or, they find the weather has changed drastically by that point – that’s where transit could come in.

The input provided to Stantec and the city on the plan also showed a number of youth don’t want to buy a vehicle unless they have to, and would rather spend their money on things like travel or other things.

Pejcic said he was also surprised to learn there’s a number of customers who choose to ride transit on colder days through the winter rather than having to start their vehicles.

They noted there are opportunities with changes in the system to draw more riders (some regular, some who maybe use the system on certain days or times of the year and so on), particularly if improved marketing is pursued.

The transit master plan outlines possibilities for that, including making better use of transit stops to advertise the system, and looking at a full marketing strategy aimed at expanding ridership and awareness about the system.

Mayor Dan Curtis praised the plan last night, noting the many improvements that could come from it while adding it could be cost-neutral.

Coun. Betty Irwin, however, commented she was disappointed to see nothing mentioned about moving to electric buses.

Councillors Samson Hartland and Roslyn Woodcock voiced their support for the initiatives outlined in the plan to move forward.

As Pejcic and Malo pointed out though, it could be closer to 1 1/2 years before there are any changes to the bus routes and schedule, even if council approves the plan next week.

They noted any route and schedule changes would have to be tested and practised extensively to ensure they work prior to being adopted.

Technology changes would likely involve a contract to purchase the right programming to provide services like electronic payment for fares or bus schedule updates and so on.

“There’s still some homework to be done,” Pejcic said.

As part of that homework, Malo did note the city is planning to do another trial for a dedicated bus lane in Riverdale, as it did several months ago.

She pointed out though if the city were to go with a dedicated lane, it would wait until any route and scheduling changes are put in place.

Work to implement the plan would begin after council adopts it.

Returning bus service to the city’s country residential subdivisions was deemed too costly.

Comments (16)

Up 10 Down 1

Wilf Carter on Jun 24, 2018 at 10:24 am

I spent a whole day counting how many people are riding the buses to downtown. Anywhere from 14 people as a high and a low 2 riders. This is not cost effective or does Hugh think it is. I love people calling me out because that opens the door to people who comment.

Up 8 Down 1

Wilf Carter on Jun 24, 2018 at 10:20 am

Just maybe someone will realize the real issues with transit service in Whitehorse. Maybe we take the mayors idea just buy more fuel buses. Don't worry about the costs we can just increase taxes, fees etc. Where has the common sense gone to with this mayor. Tax and spend liberals, ha.

Up 16 Down 0

My Opinion on Jun 21, 2018 at 1:45 pm

@PSG
You are absolutely correct. That is the job of a Transit Manager, that is almost entirely his job.

The city is doing this all the time now. They don't move without first hiring a consulting firm or architect. Recently they got rid of the people that have been running Robert Service for several decades. First thing the did was contract out to someone to plan and design a new little office building. The city has Building Inspectors, Engineers, Management, Maintenance people. I am sure someone could have thrown together a little building in no time and no $40,000.00 consulting fee.

Up 9 Down 7

Hugh Mungus on Jun 20, 2018 at 4:38 pm

...and yet again, Wilf Carter is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out in left field.

Up 13 Down 5

George on Jun 20, 2018 at 3:49 pm

I support government-subsidized F150s and side-by-sides for all BnR Yukoners. All the southern snowflakes can walk.

Up 15 Down 11

Wilf Carter on Jun 20, 2018 at 9:44 am

Let's face it. Whitehorse is too spread out and not densely populated to even have transit service. Let's bring in uber type of service or on call transit services.

Up 10 Down 7

BnR on Jun 19, 2018 at 10:01 pm

Nothing like an alternative transport story to trigger the usual suspects, none of whom I suspect would be able to plan their way out of a paper bag.

Up 17 Down 2

Bobby on Jun 19, 2018 at 9:52 pm

To say that this department has been an abject failure is being kind.

Up 18 Down 2

Yukon Guy on Jun 19, 2018 at 9:21 pm

I am sick and tired of the city trying to sell this bus service. It should be scaled down and target a few key high use routes. And revenue neutral...what a joke and a lie.

Up 21 Down 2

Past Transit Driver on Jun 19, 2018 at 5:59 pm

Run a continuous loop with one or two buses in the downtown area. Down second to the river, up fourth...2 mile hill...turn at Yukon Tire....right turn to go by Walmart to 2nd Ave, down second to the river and do it all again and again and again. No set times...just keep driving that loop. Make all other routes connect to that loop. The Porter Creek bus, for example, would never go downtown. It would just go to the edge of the loop and pick up and drop off passengers. Those passengers would ride the loop to the collection point for say Hillcrest, then transfer to the Hillcrest bus. As with the PC bus, the Hillcrest bus and all other non-downtown buses would never go downtown...they would just go to the edge of the loop.

People looking to travel in the downtown area (condo dwellers going grocery shopping, etc.) could get to where they're going much faster with the continuous loop. Jump on, jump off. There will be another bus in ten minutes or less.

Buses now have a very difficult time keeping to the schedule mainly because of the downtown traffic. (Riverdale has the same issue twice a day.) I'm purposely not mentioning all the sh** drivers that also contribute to the problem, lol. Keep the outside-area buses (PC, Hillcrest, RIverdale, etc.) out of downtown so they can always stay on time. Run the DT loop continuously.

It's not rocket science. And yes, PSG, I agree that the overpaid manager could think about this stuff instead of hiring a consultant. The City wastes our tax dollars as efficiently as YG does, imo.

@ My Opinion I also thought there was no ridership or very little before I drove transit, but I no longer think that. There are many, many, many people that rely on it. Whistlebend has been crying for full service for a long time and now there are 2000+ more homes/condos/townhouses down there and still no full time service. There is a DEFINITE need for transit in this town particularly with the influx of foreign workers.

Up 5 Down 5

Donna on Jun 19, 2018 at 4:52 pm

How about a bus service that runs the route one way then the reverse way so local services could be accessed instead of longer bus transfers ie: why, if I live in Arkell can’t I go shop at Bigway and catch the bus back to Arkell without going thru a transfer point?

Up 21 Down 10

joe on Jun 19, 2018 at 4:36 pm

Job security for a few bureaucrats, more tax dollars wasted. The bus service doesn't need to expand to meet everyone's needs, it needs to serve key areas at key hours and the public needs to work around the bus schedule. No more subsidized waste of money on a system designed for larger centres.

Up 23 Down 3

Max Mack on Jun 19, 2018 at 3:38 pm

Revenue neutral. Hahahahaha!
And stop trying to force a "dedicated bus lane" onto Riverdale residents. Stop trying to take away our one-and-only boulevard.

Up 22 Down 6

ProScience Greenie on Jun 19, 2018 at 3:29 pm

Shouldn't a very well paid transit manager's job include managing and planning an efficient transit system for such a small town as Whitehorse without the need of feeding tax dollars to consultants?

Majorly convoluted and dysfunctional master plan by the way but council will simply rubber stamp it as usual.

Up 21 Down 4

RSD on Jun 19, 2018 at 3:18 pm

Riverdale doesn't need a dedicated bus lane. It needs a middle turning lane up Lewes.

Up 19 Down 13

My Opinion on Jun 19, 2018 at 2:48 pm

OMG What a Joke.

"Pejcic said he was also surprised to learn there’s a number of customers who choose to ride transit on colder days through the winter rather than having to start their vehicles." And this is the consultant that is getting the big bucks? Why in "HE double hockey sticks" would this surprise you????

The fact is there is just no ridership, plain and simple. They should just give all these people Taxi passes. End of story. Scrap the Bus System. They can go directly where they want and less hard on the environment. No big empty buses running around.

If people want to ride their bike down in the morning then it is their problem how they get home. How about you ride it back home you poor Snowflakes.

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