The City of Whitehorse’s new transit plan is being greeted with a distinct lack of enthusiasm so far.

Last week, the city announced its new “modern transit routes” after months of work.

The new system and routes were first to be introduced last year, around the first of July, but that was quietly put off – with no mention. The new routes will now be introduced on the coming July 1.

The modifications to some routes are substantial, particularly the #5 route that currently serves the Copper Ridge and Lobird neighbourhoods via Robert Service Way and Hamilton Boulevard.

That route has been shuffled off to serve the Whistle Bend neighbourhood now.

No city transit buses will utilize Robert Service Way under the current plan.

That means the softball fields along Robert Service will no longer be accessible to passengers, nor will the Robert Service Campground and half of the Millennium Trail.

Meanwhile, Copper Ridge will be served now only by the #2 route, which has been modified somewhat.

It will now run south on Fourth Avenue rather than sticking to Second Avenue. During peak hours, it will visit Riverdale before returning downtown to the busy stops along Second Avenue, including the hub near city hall.

That’s going to add on approximately 30 minutes for people to ride to the downtown core unless they use the Fourth Avenue stops.

For many of them, that will possibly mean crossing both Fourth and Second avenues on foot. They’re the two busiest core streets.

Whitehorse residents were quick to begin commenting on the new routes after the city put a post up on its Facebook page last week.

By Monday afternoon, more than 100 comments were visible on the subject on two different posts.

“Good job. Sounds like this will increase the desire to NOT want to rely on public transportation and instead get a car. Sucks when ‘plans’ backfire,” Marie Langenhan wrote.

“Why are the people making decisions even involved if they don’t take city transit?” asked Taylor Lachapelle.

“COW has made it loud and clear they can’t do anything right when it comes to bus routes, so leave it to the public.

“Put a poll out! Put an open discussion out and see what the PUBLIC needs. Not what government workers with comfy jobs THINK the public needs.”

A number of other people made much the same point, suggesting whoever was responsible for designing the new routes doesn’t actually use transit.

“Sounds like a petition is needed, as the ones making these decisions clearly don’t ride the transit system,” stated Samantha Snow.

Keighlan Gustus wrote, “This is a complete nightmare. I’m not sure who assumed this was a fix, but it’s not, it’s way worse and puts worse pressure on those reliant on public transit.”

Lynn Alfino commented: “I spent an hour poring over the new schedule online, and even though I am in a high-use area (Riverdale), it’s a nightmare. Drivers I have spoken to this week have told me they are so tightly timed on their routes, they are not going to have time to answer questions or help with routes.

“So I advise everyone to start now ... we have three weeks to figure out our own schedules. Figure out where you go most and focus on your own routes. Call transit for additional advice.

“As for Riverdale, I see we are going from three routes down to two, with less service between 10:30-2 p.m. when seniors are most likely to be travelling.

“COW, explain how this is improved? We’re going from service every 20 minutes to hourly?! Really?”

Susanna Wolfe really wasn’t impressed with the new schedules for Whistle Bend.

“Whistle Bend gutted further – lovely! In a housing crisis, I’m left with likely having to figure out a move.

“Not everyone drives or can afford to, but clearly we’re all supposed to, going on this announcement.

“Fund and put in reasonably affordable buildings for lower-income earners, families, the disabled, then gut bus service, brilliant.”

She continued her scathing critique by saying, “And here I was looking forward to this announcement; careful what you ask for, as you just might get it is the lesson here! Simply stunned at the ‘lack of thorough consideration.’”

Jolene Campbell wrote, “I guess people in Whistle Bend don’t need to get downtown, to the hospital, or to Riverdale. It sure sucks for teens who want to go anywhere other than the CG.”

More comments continued to flood in.

Sylvia Neschokat added, “Like the person commenting below, I also do not understand how a person wanting to take the bus from Takhini

North/Range Road (across from Takhini Elementary) would get to downtown (say, Walmart), without having to go to Whistle Bend first (if route 1 turns into route 5).

“I would appreciate if the city could please clarify, or provide contact info where I can phone and ask for clarification.

“Very odd scheduling for the Takhini neighbourhoods, which have many seniors, to now have less access (and a transfer?) to go downtown for work, groceries, banking or medical appointments.

“It’s not all about getting to Yukon College, Canada Games Centre, or Whistle Bend. If the new schedule is going to stay this way, then I would appreciate if the city would please consider opening up the HandyBus service to more seniors; thanks.”

Tracy Bruce honed in on the new Copper Ridge schedule.

“So getting to work is going to take even longer catching the Copper Ridge bus? I would have to get on the 8:08 bus at the KDFN office and make it downtown at 8:45? Looks like they just made the schedule worse!!”

Jason Bradshaw, the city’s manager of transit services, said in an interview Tuesday he is aware of the furor on social media over the changes.

“There has been a lot of confusion,” he told the Star. “We were expecting some challenges. Change is difficult for many people.

“We’re trying to get through that confusion,” Bradshaw added.

He acknowledged that considering the reaction so far, the city might have done a better job of communicating with the public.

That’s something it’s looking at right now, and considering options on how to deliver its message in a better format.

The city has been working on the new master plan for transit since 2018, Bradshaw noted.

During that work, it made repeated efforts to carry out public consultation at various levels, and the input received from those sessions was incorporated into the plan.

“We can’t control the responses, though,” Bradshaw said.

Stantec, a major consulting company, was hired to design the new routes, Bradshaw pointed out. It has provided its services to public transit all over North America, most recently in Edmonton, he added.

“This is just the first step,” Bradshaw said, adding the system would be monitored and tweaked as necessary over the next few months.

There are currently no plans to delay implementing the new routes, despite the uproar.

The current routes and system are more than 10 years old, Bradshaw said.

“We needed to look at things in a different way. We needed to find a different way of doing things.

“It has to be as cost-effective as possible,” he added. “We had to make some difficult decisions.”

Service for Lobird, Raven’s Ridge and Kopper King will change to on-request service only.

Riders from these areas can request a ride to the Canada Games Centre transfer hub, where they can then transfer to other locations.

In a news release issued last Wednesday, the city described its plans this way:

“The new schedule is intended to better meet the needs of more residents and visitors, and provide greater service frequency during peak periods. Most areas will see an increase to peak-time service, and downtown will see service as often as every 10 minutes.

“Following industry best practices, the new route network has been built to provide extra time for drivers to stay on schedule, and support operational efficiencies,” the city said.