'It sucks' or 'it was due for a change'? Winnipeg bus riders give their takes on new transit network

Some people in Winnipeg are struggling with the city's newly revamped transit system on the first weekday after its rollout — but others say they're willing to give the new routes a chance, despite some hiccups.

On Sunday, Winnipeg Transit launched its primary transit network, which it calls the most significant single-day transformation in its history. 

It replaces the city's decades-old "hub-and-spoke" model, where buses meandered through outlying neighbourhoods before heading downtown. In the new "spine-and-feeder" system, buses follow a more grid-like pattern, with straighter routes along major arteries, and smaller feeder routes connecting to residential areas.

Transit rider Lisa Mittelstadt says the changes tack an extra 20 minutes onto her work commute each way — making a one-way trip roughly an hour and a half long. On Monday, it also meant taking three buses to get from Westwood to her job in south Winnipeg.

"I had to revamp my whole schedule around it," Mittelstadt said, waiting for a bus near CF Polo Park mall. "I just hope people speak out and let the city know how they're feeling about it, if it's good or if it's bad, and make the adjustments accordingly if they need to."

Fellow transit rider Kim Tychuk put it more bluntly, while waiting for a bus nearby.

"I think it sucks," said Tychuk, who has to take four buses to get to work and home each day. "I just want it back the way it was."

But not everyone was disappointed with the changes. Bo Karaman took the bus to go shopping on Sunday, when the new system rolled out, and was happy with the ride and the blue-vested Winnipeg Transit "travel trainers" at stops along major routes, helping people navigate the system.

"It was due for a change, I guess, and here we are…. People don't really like change, but I guess we're going to have to suffer with it for a while," Karaman said while waiting for a bus on Osborne Street.

"I think it should work. But I mean, you know, most people have anxieties and fears of the unknown, right?"

While the changes only recently took effect, the plan has been in the works for years. Winnipeg Transit posted the new schedules online weeks ago, adding a feature to its website that allowed riders to plan their trips using the new routes, and has been changing signage to prepare riders.

Bus rider Katherine Morgan said she saw some things that could be improved when she took a bus Sunday to Assiniboine Park. 

While the ride there was straightforward, there was trouble on the ride back when the second bus she got on was a bit late, making her miss the third one she was supposed to transfer to. By the time she arrived to catch the third bus, the next one was 64 minutes away — so she just walked the rest of the way back.

"It is a concern, and I do feel the city somehow has to fix that," Morgan said while waiting for a bus in south Winnipeg. "And I feel for those who have mobility challenges, those who have young children — they can't wait 64 minutes."

Those are some of the same concerns raised by Heather Scott and Lana Ponting, who live at the Riverside Lions seniors residence on Worthington Avenue in St. Vital.

Scott said she takes the bus daily to get to appointments and the mall, and with the new changes she'll have to walk a lot more to get to and from her destination. But because she has epilepsy, she worries about having a seizure while out walking on her own so much.

"They need to rethink what they're doing and start thinking about how seniors are going to get around, and people with mobility and medical issues," Scott said.

Ponting said while she only uses the bus occasionally, she thinks the changes made to Winnipeg's transit network "is not fair to the seniors in the city," many of whom will have to walk more to get around.

"I'm not saying I can't — I could. But that's not the point. The point is, why take away a bus stop when you've got loads of seniors in this building and other buildings in the city? The buses should be accessible to everyone," Ponting said.

A Winnipeg Transit spokesperson told CBC News on Monday it is looking at reinstating the bus stop at Worthington Avenue and St. Anne's Road, along with one on the other side of St. Anne's Road, for the fall season.

"Feedback won't necessarily override strategic decisions based on balance, safety, and other considerations. But where a case can be made on those factors, stop locations may be reconsidered," the spokesperson stated in an email.

While the new network relies on passengers transferring more often and walking longer distances to get to stops, Winnipeg Transit has said it will be more reliable and efficient thanks to straighter routes, fewer stops and routes that avoid travelling through congested downtown traffic.

As for what Ponting thinks of that?

"I'll believe that when I see it," she said. "I don't understand what they're trying to do. We rely on the bus, a lot of people do. And seniors especially should be considered."