An increase in ridership for Transit Windsor this year.
During Wednesday's Environment, Transportation and Public Safety Standing Committee, an report was provided for information with an update on ridership trends and performance measures for the first 9 months of 2024 - from January until the end of September.
This report showed a 7 per cent increase in ridership this year compared to 2023, with total ridership as of September 30 at nearly 7.3-million, compared to just over 6.8-million in the same time frame last year.
The report also showed high levels of route productivity based on boardings per service hour, with two-thirds of the routes well above the average threshold.
Transit Windsor also maintained an on-time performance of 78 per cent, consistent with the same time period in 2023, showcasing stability and reliability throughout the transit system.
Tyson Cragg, Executive Director at Transit Windsor, says while they recognize that many buses are showing high levels of boardings, it's a positive problem to have.
"The buses are being used at a very high level utilization, there are no empty seats so that's a good thing from an efficiency perspective. But, it is indicative that either higher frequencies, i.e. reduced headways, meaning more buses per hour, would be suggestive."
He says in order to maintain an on-time performance the service has implemented traffic signal priority.
"We've been working with a vendor, as well as other departments within the city, traffic, and fire, on signal priority. And we've seen some positive benefits out of that signal priorities, so essentially it keeps a green light green longer, so a bus that is running behind schedule is able to maintain."
Cragg says new buses are expected to arrive early next year, which will help with high levels of riders.
"In terms of the number of buses, we certainly have plans put together that would address the issue, that would likely be able to accomplish what we're trying to do either within the existing fleet, or using some of the new buses that we have arriving."
The Economic Development and Engineering Finance Committee will be discussing solutions for buses that are operating at full-capacity to see what can be done to relieve some of that pressure. That information will be discussed in-camera, and will be brought to council as part of the 2025 Budget.
In September 2024, significant route changes were made, such as ending the Dominion 5 route and adding Route 115 and Route 305 to improve service efficiency.