Calls for revamped Saskatoon transit system ahead of civic election

The future of public transit is just one of several issues Saskatoon’s mayor and city council will have to juggle once they are sworn into office.

Robert Clipperton is one person very interested in the future of the transit system.

Clipperton is a member of Bus Riders of Saskatoon, a group with close to 2,000 members on Facebook.

He said strides are being made to get the current bus fleet to a point where it can service users, but the system is at a bit of a crossroads as we head into the next civic election.

“At times, there have not been enough buses running to be able to handle the passenger load or to keep with the schedules that have been published,” Clipperton said.

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He said the next city council should not limit its focus on short term planning, adding sufficient stock needs to be purchased to serve an ever-growing population.

In a statement from the City of Saskatoon, they said, “as our population continues to rise, we need to keep densifying our neighbourhoods and improving transit.

“High-quality transit allows a city to grow without slowing traffic down. When prioritized, transit has the potential to reduce vehicle congestion, provide environmentally efficient and responsible transportation, and reduce both personal mobility expenses and overall public infrastructure expenses.”

Clipperton believes the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is essential to modernize the bus system.

“BRT should improve the system all the way around, it should make it more convenient, there should be more frequent service to high traffic areas,” he said.

And while supply issues might be one problem with the system, others argue there are even more factors.

“We have operators that are scared to come to work, we have a multitude of operators that are either off because of stress leave, anxiety, PTSD just from what they’re seeing on the streets here,” Darcy Pederson, the Amalgamated Transit Union president said.

Pederson argues transit safety should be a top priority not just for operators, but for the public as well.

“We need to be able to get people out of their cars, on the buses and have them ride a reliable, convenient and most importantly, safe bus transit system for Saskatoon.”

With transit an issue for some heading into the civic election, it will be up to the next sitting council to navigate the road forward on its future.