IG news Update,
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on transit ridership in Winnipeg, but the city says it believes riders are beginning to return to the bus.
According to data provided by the City of Winnipeg, 2019 saw a total of 48,770,208 transit ridership. A year later, after COVID-19 restrictions and stay-at-home orders came into force in March, the ridership for the year dropped to 24,788,979.
The ridership numbers came down to a total of 21,465,663 in 2021.
The fall in the number of riders has had an impact on the financial condition of the city. According to a report presented to the council in September, the city is projecting a deficit of $14.7 million for transit for 2022.
According to the city’s most recent available numbers, the number of passengers as of the end of July was 16,841,728, and a spokesperson is encouraged by the number.
“While we do not yet have aggregate ridership data compiled for the decline, available indicators suggest that ridership continues to climb slowly and steadily,” the spokesperson said. “Since the start of September, average weekday boardings have hovered between 77 and 87 percent of what they were in comparable weeks in 2019.”
Janice Luks, who represents Count Waverly West Ward, says the city’s transit service is critical.
“We’ve seen a real increase in transit use after the pandemic, which is great, because we haven’t for a long time,” she said. “Now that universities are open, the buses are full again. The new mayor has committed to bringing the actual frequency of buses back to pre-pandemic, which is fantastic. ,
One issue that has been raised in recent weeks is safety on transit, something Winnipeg City Council wants to do.
Mayor Scott Gillingham rode on Winnipeg Transit on Wednesday, and said he would ride it to get a direct look at the issues.
“I think it’s important that I ride transit from time to time, we want transit to be a safe option for people and people to have confidence that when they get on the bus, they’re going to be on the transportation system.” There can be trust,” he said.
Gillingham said on Wednesday that he considered adding peace officers to buses and bus stops with the province to improve security.