The City of Windsor is working to help students at several schools in the city get ready for changes to Transit Windsor, including the elimination of the 'school extras.'
The city is launching the School Extras Transition Plan to support students at four high schools as they shift to using regular Transit Windsor services as of Sept. 2.
City staff will be visiting Holy Names Catholic High School, St. Joseph's Catholic High School, Vincent Massey Secondary School, and Riverside Secondary School to connect directly with students to provide information and hands-on support.
Staff will go over detailed information about the new routes, help students download and navigate Transit Windsor's mobile apps, offer tips for riding the bus, and address any other questions.
Commissioner of Economic Development Jelena Payne says they want to prepare everyone for September.
"We want to give them as much lead time to get out there and be informed, find their routes online, and know what to expect in September so that we can ensure a smooth transition into the September 2025 school year," she says.
Information will also be shared with Grade 8 classes in elementary feeder schools to help incoming high school students prepare for the transition.
As part of the 2025 budget approved in January, the council approved a plan to eliminate the 'school extras' and reassign nine buses to provide necessary service improvements and expansion along other routes, adding an additional 15,000 service hours to the overall system.
Payne says they will do this again in August to make sure the students and parents are prepared for Labour Day when the new routes go live on the Transit Windsor website.
"That's when students will be able to go on the website, the Transit Windsor website, or the app and see their routes live," she says. "What we've done in the meantime in order to help prepare students is we've created static route maps so they can go online now and see what options they have."
The extras were designed to take pressure off regular routes during the school year, with an estimated 650 students relying on the buses every school day.
Residents are encouraged to visit transitwindsor.ca for the latest updates, route information, and helpful resources.
The city says the site will be continuously updated throughout the summer to ensure families have access to the information and tools they need ahead of the new school year.