REGINA – Regina Transit introduced heated bus shelters on Friday – a Saskatchewan first – and an integrated Google Maps trip-planning tool.
“This is to ensure people stay in the shelter, not inside of businesses’ entrance ways, no question about that, but this is probably better service. When it’s 35 below and you’re waiting for your bus, it’s warm here. I think people are going to be very, very happy about that,” said Mayor Michael Fougere.
He made the announcement Friday morning beside a heated bus shelter near the intersection of 11th Avenue and Cornwall Centre.
One shelter has been given the upgrade so far. It features a radiant heater on the ceilings inside, which turn on for five minutes at a time when a black button inside is pressed.
Transit Regina is also getting rid of its Trip Planner in favour of Google Maps Trip Planner. TransitLive, shows the current location of buses in the city, will not be removed.
“We’re a bigger city, we’re growing all the time, and our transit service is always improving, and this is a way to ensure people get to where they want to go as quickly as they want to get there,” said Fougere.
The heated shelters are test models, with three more expected to be installed early next month. The plan is to introduce more heaters depending on the public’s response.
Together, the project and the four heated additions cost $275,000. The cost to power those shelters is estimated to cost $8,500 this year and that is expected to jump to $9,000 next year.
The heated bus shelters also feature lights that turn on automatically when someone enters the shelters.
City of Regina’s list of bus shelters to get heaters:
- Already installed: 11th Avenue and Cornwall Street, westbound (in front of Transit Information Centre) bus stop #180
- 11th Avenue and Lorne Street, eastbound (in alcove at SaskTel building) Bus stop #1544
- 11th Avenue and Scarth Street, eastbound (BMO) bus stop #1537
- 11th Avenue and Lorne Street, westbound (between SGI/The Bay) bus stop #1545
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