People who visit or work in the Twin Oaks business park want the return of bus service

There hasn't been a bus route in the Twin Oaks business park since construction began on the NextStar battery plant, cutting off access to Banwell Road along Anchor Drive. So buses that used to go right through now need to turnaround. Turnarounds have been built at the ends of Twin Oaks Drive and Anchor Drive and while they are nearly ready, Transit Windsor is still waiting for new buses before it can service the route.

"The challenge is the availability of buses that we have on order and have had on order for over a year now," said Ward 9 Coun. Kieran McKenzie, who also sits on the Transit Windsor board.

"The supplier is telling us that there is a delay due to a part not being available. Currently, we don't know exactly when that part will be made available. And the buses that we have ordered, as I said over a year ago, will be available," he said.

Right now, the closest anyone can get to the Twin Oaks business park by bus is a bus stop at Forest Glade Drive and Lauzon Parkway. They then have to walk all the way across the E.C. Row Expressway to get to the park.

Orthodontist Mark Parete says it's a treacherous walk for some of his patients and staff to get to his offices.

"And there is on many mornings people walking from the Forest Glade area to the Twin Oaks, meaning along the shoulder of the road right up against the guardrails, probably on about a six or eight inch path of grass," said Parete.

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Emma Nicoletti is one of his patients who takes the bus. Instead of walking, she takes a cab from Tecumseh Mall which costs her $10.

"I would like to see the bus come back to at least Anchor Drive because honestly, with so many patients here, those students that come from St. Joe's or from other high schools nearby that would benefit from a bus so that their parents don't have to take time off to bring them to appointments. And also help me out so I don't have to keep paying for a cab," said Nicoletti.

People who work in the area believe a bus service would reduce the number of people driving to the area. Twin Oaks Drive is the only way in and out, so traffic gets backed up and it will only get worse when NextStar begins full production. 

"It's very difficult to leave at 5 o'clock or 3 o'clock when most people are leaving. It takes probably 10 minutes to get out of the lights past Twin Oaks Drive there," said Megan Farmer, who works at a clinic in the business park.

"I would like to hope that it would help lighten up the traffic. I mean, I don't see why it wouldn't," said Angelica Lepera, who also works there.

The city has extended the length of the advance turn lane arrow on Lauzon Parkway at Twin Oaks drive and Parete says that has helped ease the traffic problem.

McKenzie has asked traffic operations to report on how to further reduce traffic congestion. He is hoping the new buses will be ready by the time NextStar begins full production next fall.