THUNDER BAY – Residents are invited to get involved in the Thunder Bay Transit Route Optimization Plan which aims to make transit services more effective and efficient. Comments to improve transit services can be submitted by completing an online survey at http://tbtsurvey.fyi. The survey can also be accessed through the City’s website at thunderbay.ca/transit and will be open until Friday, Oct. 6.
“As Thunder Bay changes, we want to ensure that its bus services respond to better serve our riders and the community,” said Brad Loroff, Manager – Transit Services. “The project will engage riders, frontline employees and the community as we look to improve the performance of the existing services while adding innovations, catering to our existing ridership and inviting new riders.”
Stantec Consulting, a Toronto-based engineering firm that has assisted dozens of Canadian transit agencies including the Toronto Transit Commission, will provide guidance on the project. Components will include analyzing the existing transit network, looking at service performance and schedule adherence, and examining transfer requirements and the current transit hub infrastructure.
“The project’s focus is on the customer – meaning the riders and the citizens who may not ride the service but support it,” said Sasha Pejcic, Stantec Senior Associate and Project Manager. “We will engage the community through one-on-one meetings with key stakeholders and attend community events such as EcoSuperior’s Open Streets held Saturday, Sept. 16. Our team will be engaging with transit passengers through ride-a-longs on all of transit’s routes and at all major transfer hubs.”
The Plan will recommend improvements the existing network of routes, validate the location of key transit hubs and suggest improvements to hubs that would enhance the rider experience. “The project recommendations must be fiscally responsible and result in measurable improvements in service quality as well as ridership and revenue growth,” added Loroff.
Additional opportunities to provide input will be available in October 2017 and January/February 2018 as the project progresses. For more information, visit: thunderbay.ca/transit. The project team also invites comments by email which can be submitted to TBTransit@stantec.com.
This project is made possible through the contribution of the Government of Ontario and Canada’s Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF). The Government of Canada is matching the municipal investment of $150,000 under the administration of the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.
