City rolls out 'complete overhaul' of transit system

The city rolled out its brand new transit network on Sunday, a change the mayor calls the largest in more than a century for Winnipeg Transit.

"We're not just tweaking transit, it's a complete overhaul," Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said. 

Gillingham joined Coun. Janice Lukes and others Sunday morning to ride the first in-service bus of Winnipeg's brand new network, which left Portage Avenue and Spence Street at 5:32 a.m.

The launch of the new network means Winnipeg Transit will undergo what the city is calling the most "significant single-day transformation" in the system's 142 year history. 

It replaces the city's existing "hub-and-spoke" system, with a more grid-like "spine-and-feeder" model, featuring high-frequency routes along major roads, connected to smaller routes running through residential areas, according to the city. 

"So it's all going to take time to adjust, but we need a modern transit service for a modern growing city," Gillingham said. 

According to the city, the network was in need of an overhaul because the previous system was based mainly on people going to and coming from downtown. 

"The city population has reached 850,000 now, so we continue to grow, we need a good, reliable, frequent transit service to make things better, and that's what this is all about."

The mayor admitted there could be some hiccups with the new system because of how different everything will now be, but he urged patience as transit riders and drivers adjust. 

"Be patient with our operators too," he said. "For our transit drivers, this is all new for them too. 

"To their credit, they've been getting ready for this day."

The mayor says his own bus route will also change, as he previously took a single bus to get to City Hall, but will now transfer to a second bus to get to work, and said others who previously rode a direct bus to work downtown may now have to transfer on to a second bus. 

"We all need to adjust a little bit," he said. 

According to Lukes, the city isn't going into the new system without preparation, as it's been running as a pilot project in the southwest corner of the city since 2020. 

"So we've been piloting this change for about four years, and now we're ready to transform the city," Lukes said. "Better frequency means better service, and that's what we want on our buses."  

She added officials have deemed the pilot project in southwest Winnipeg a "success" because ridership in the area is up.

Lukes says the city will evaluate the success of the new system in many ways, one of which is measuring a potential increase in transit ridership city-wide. 

"That's going to be primarily one of the milestone marking points," she said. "And because of what people have experienced in southwest Winnipeg, I think people are going to embrace it and love it."

The city is asking anyone with questions or complaints about the new system to contact 311 or their representative on city council. 

Winnipeggers can plan their trips with the new network on Navigo or by downloading the Transit App, the city said. 

For more information about the bus system, visit winnipeg.ca/primarytransitnetwork.