Starting this September, those using Transit Windsor will see changes as the Dominion 5 is being eliminated.
While this route is being eliminated, Transit Windsor is adding two new routes, Route 115 and Route 305, to replace the Dominion 5.
An open house was held at St. Clair College on Wednesday to inform the public - especially students - of these changes.
Route 115 will be very similar to the Dominion 5, and will start at the Windsor International Transit Terminal down Campbell Avenue, to Dominion, and will add service on Mount Royal Drive.
Meanwhile, Route 305 will start at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare Terminal and will make stops near Holy Names Catholic High School, the Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex, Vincent Massey Secondary School, and St. Clair College. This route provides service to new areas of South Windsor, and some areas that were previously covered by the Dominion 5.
Faizon Patel, St. Clair College student, says these new routes are great.
"Dominion 5 used to take a very long time, and a lot of rush goes into that. So I couldn't even get to find a seat on that. But because of this initiative, it will be helpful. I will have a direct route to the college and it will be a little faster also."
"I used to take the [Dominion] 5 for a very long time, and I always wondered why it goes down Campbell, Dominion, and Mount Royal, but doesn't go back that way, it goes through some sort of secretive back way. And I think really this makes a whole lot of sense."
This student at St. Clair College says this change will it quicker to get home.
"It's the perfect way from going to the Transit [Terminal] from the College and back and forth. It's honestly great. And there's also going from the College to the Transit [Terminal] just leads us from the back side of the college, and would go into the housing, and it would take time. But now, it will take a lot less time."
These new routes will be effective as of September 1, 2024. Route 115 will run every 20 minutes, and Route 305 will run every 30 minutes.
These changes were approved by city council in 2023 as part of the Transit Master Plan implementation.
Transit Windsor is also implementing new bus stop signs, which will be installed when current signs need to be replaced.
They will be fully reflective, categorized by colour based on routes, and will be longer and thinner.