Winnipeg Transit

What is your opinion on our Transit system? Is it good.....ok....Bad? I would love to hear feedback, especially when some of you ahve lived in different cities, and can compare Winnipeg Transit with other Canadian cities.

IMO, I can compare Winnipeg Transit to four cities- Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Red Deer.

Red Deer has the best transit system, but I am not sure if you can compare it to Winnipeg, as Red Deer has only 89,000 people. In Red Deer, the buses run in every area of the city, and go through Industrial areas. They all meet up Downtown, and you can get to where you are going very quickly.

Calgary, IMO, has a better transit system for one simple reason- the C-Train. The C-Train runs until 2:00AM, and connects all major areas of the city. The only problem with Calgary is the buses usually stop running around midnight (you usually take one connected to a C-Train station. Also the Southeast area of Calgary, where there bulk of the city's industrial area is, has inadequate bus service, although there are plans to build a C-Train through this area by 2020.

I did not have too much experience with the Edmonton transit system, and never rode the LRT, since at the time, it went basically from the University, through to the Northeast. Although they have since expanded the line south to 51 Ave, and are planning on building an LRT route that will connect to the West Edmonton Mall in a few years.

I only have limited experience with the Greater Vancouver Transit system, but the Skytrain is without a doubt, the best Rapid Transit system in Western Canada. The addition of the Millennium Line (runs through the North part of Vancouver/Burnaby/Coquitlam/New Westminster), and the new Olympic(?) Line, which runs from Downtown Vancouver, through to Richmond, and the Airport has only improved their transit. There is also a West Coast express (Vancouver to Port Coquitlam), and the Sea Ferry connecting to North Vancouver.

The only thing I dislike about the Greater Vancouver Transit system, is you need to purchase different tickets for different zones in the city, so it can be costly if you live in the outlying areas, and want to commute to Downtown. I know there was talk of Calgary eventually implementing a similar zone system, but it has yet to take effect.

Ottawa has a great system with the Transitway (Busway).
Service on the Transitway runs every few minutes, and now has 24-hour service on one of their routes.
With a busway, the buses can leave the Transitway, however with a fixed rail system (subway, C-Train, Skytrain), you will have transfer onto a bus to continue with you route.

With the new Canada Line in Vancouver, you will have to pay an EXTRA $5, to leave the airport with a CASH fare (however the surcharge is exempt with tickets or a day pass)

I can't wait until our BRT is up and running. It's too bad Sammie Katz nixed the original plan 5 years ago, as it would have been built by now.

we need our transit system running longer.. 130AM cutoff is simply not good

We need some of the express routes continuing in off peak hours or at the least straighten out some of the current routes.

You forgot to put the word "slow" in the poll.

Why wouldn't you take a taxi when you need to get around?

/start irony\
Maybe because then the ride would last 30 kms more than on the bus...
/end irony\

Public transit is my secondary form of transportation, primary being walking. As such, I have no real complaints about transit service. For $2.35 a trip (or monthly bus pass in my case), I have no expectations of luxury... it ain't the Orient Express.

Going to work in the mornings, I have a choice: spend an hour getting to work via the #77 and sit comfortably; or take one of the many buses heading downtown, transfer onto a #19 or #28 (usually ~5min wait for one or the other) where myself and the other passengers are packed like sardines.

In the case of inclement weather, I'll catch an earlier bus to avoid being late for work.

Of course, it isn't all beer and skittles. Some things I'd like to see improved are:

Eins: The removal of obnoxious, intoxicated, and/or belligerent people from the bus.

Zwei: Limiting driver trainees and newly graduated drivers to daytime feeder routes and not primary routes during either rush hour.

Drei: Limiting the amount of strollers allowed on the bus, and/or make passengers fold up their strollers. They're an obstacle and safety hazard.

Fier: When the bus is absolutely packed and there's no more room left to "Move to the back, please!", stop letting more people on. Again, it's a safety hazard. Also... ever miss your stop because you're in the window seat, and can't get out in time because the aisles are packed and you have to fight your way through the crowd (and over baby strollers) to get to either exit, only to have the driver pull away because you took too long?

Hmmm, guess I did have a couple of complaints...

whats wrong ? dont like the number 3?

Bus drivers think that the laws don't apply to them.

In the last week alone, I've witnessed busses go through red lights from a stop.
Regularly sit and wait in NO STOPPING zones.

Seem to either be speeding or going way too slow.

Basically, imo, most bus drivers are arseholes. If our vehicles are broken, all cabs and limos are taken, too cold to walk, then I'll consider a bus (if I can't postpone going).

There ya' go.

I also don't like how they always force themselves into your lane.

JTF wrote:Regularly sit and wait in NO STOPPING zones.

That bugs me, too - how about this: the #77 will sit in front of the Shell station on Adsum and Jefferson in the southbound lane, while the #17 bus sits alongside in the northbound lane beside Maples Collegiate... with maybe a couple of car lengths separating. Really gums up the works.

Bloody ignorant.

I really think that lately bus drivers have been given a course on being jerkoffs.

I drive my daughter to Red River downtown on occasion and whenever I do, there always are cabs parked in front of the Regis and Marlborough hotels, and buses parked (stopped) on Smith, north of Portage, in a No Stopping zone.

I called transit one day (when I was bored) and called them on it.

Would you believe that a woman from transit told me that the sign didn't apply to buses. Honest. I called her on that and she reluctantly agreed to transfer me to her boss, whom I haven't heard back from yet.

Un-fcuken-believeable!!

JTF wrote:In the last week alone, I've witnessed busses go through red lights from a stop.

I've seen this too and thought WTF?

But I'll bet there is a Transit Advance Light at those intersections. Take a close look at the traffic lights. There will be a rectangular white light that, when on, stops traffic in all directions allowing the buses to proceed alone.

JTF wrote:I drive my daughter to Red River downtown on occasion and whenever I do, there always are cabs parked in front of the Regis and Marlborough hotels, and buses parked (stopped) on Smith, north of Portage, in a No Stopping zone.

I called transit one day (when I was bored) and called them on it.

Would you believe that a woman from transit told me that the sign didn't apply to buses. Honest. I called her on that and she reluctantly agreed to transfer me to her boss, whom I haven't heard back from yet.

Un-fcuken-believeable!!

Actually...she's right.

No Stopping signs DO NOT apply to transit buses.

They DO apply to taxis though...and I've chased a few taxis myself out of No Stopping zones.

Bartron wrote:I also don't like how they always force themselves into your lane.

FORCE themselves?

I personally haven't seen this.

I've seen them put their signal on and then move into a lane, despite some idiots attempt to crowd the bus to try and prevent it.

I've seen some drivers take up two lanes to make a wide turn, so some idiot doesn't run up one side or the other to "beat the bus".

If you see a bus driver just veer into a lane forcing themselves in front of you...and they DON'T have their turn signal on...THEN call transit and report the bus number. The driver can be reprimanded for not following procedure.

But...if they have their signal on (and I don't care HOW desperate you are to get in front of that bus)...I hope they run over you. REMEMBER - A turn signal is NOT a REQUEST...IT'S A WARNING!!! SO make room or be crushed.

In Ontario they passed a law (AA you reading this?) that made it mandatory to yield to a bus entering a live lane from a transit stop. Is that the case here?

Stopping in a no stopping zone, I've also seen it in plenty of city truck/delivery/postal drivers as well (not to mention your average motorist)

Buses forcing themselves into a lane, while it's annoying, I understand the reason for it. Most folks driving in rush hour drive like jerkoffs, and don't let buses in. Buses do have a schedule...even if they don't keep them very well. (I'm not saying I support it, I'm just saying I understand why they do it)

AGEsAces wrote:
FORCE themselves?

I personally haven't seen this.

I've seen them put their signal on and then move into a lane, despite some idiots attempt to crowd the bus to try and prevent it.

I've seen some drivers take up two lanes to make a wide turn, so some idiot doesn't run up one side or the other to "beat the bus".

If you see a bus driver just veer into a lane forcing themselves in front of you...and they DON'T have their turn signal on...THEN call transit and report the bus number. The driver can be reprimanded for not following procedure.

But...if they have their signal on (and I don't care HOW desperate you are to get in front of that bus)...I hope they run over you. REMEMBER - A turn signal is NOT a REQUEST...IT'S A WARNING!!! SO make room or be crushed.

Kudos, I agree!!

Thanks!

grumpy old man wrote:In Ontario they passed a law (AA you reading this?) that made it mandatory to yield to a bus entering a live lane from a transit stop. Is that the case here?

Hadn't heard about that law...but wouldn't surprise me if it was passed here.
If it hasn't been...I'm sure it will be soon...however it should still require the driver to signal his intent to enter the lane.

grumpy old man wrote:In Ontario they passed a law (AA you reading this?) that made it mandatory to yield to a bus entering a live lane from a transit stop. Is that the case here?

....Manitoban's know how to "yield" now?

Since when????????

JT Estoban wrote:Stopping in a no stopping zone, I've also seen it in plenty of city truck/delivery/postal drivers as well (not to mention your average motorist)

Buses forcing themselves into a lane, while it's annoying, I understand the reason for it. Most folks driving in rush hour drive like jerkoffs, and don't let buses in. Buses do have a schedule...even if they don't keep them very well. (I'm not saying I support it, I'm just saying I understand why they do it)

No...the No Stopping zone does NOT apply to:
Transit Buses
Emergency Vehicles
Postal Vehicles

As far as police enforcement goes...they also will typically not bother:
Delivery Vehicles (UPS, Purolator)
Armoured Vehicles (ie. brinks trucks)
Taxis (though they should)

But the actual rules for the "No Stopping" zones are to allow transit vehicles to do their job.

Here's a common-sense (I know...no such thing) way of looking at it:

EVERY bus stop in the city is a "No Stopping Zone"...EVERY single one...so what? the buses aren't supposed to stop at the bus stops?

JT Estoban wrote:Buses forcing themselves into a lane, while it's annoying, I understand the reason for it. Most folks driving in rush hour drive like jerkoffs, and don't let buses in. Buses do have a schedule...even if they don't keep them very well. (I'm not saying I support it, I'm just saying I understand why they do it)

A friend of mind just started working for Winnipeg Transit as a bus driver.
He and I laugh about it (I used to drive a transit route in New Jersey years ago).

The one accessory we both agree should be on the front of every bus, is some kind of "cow catcher" mechanism that can push illegally stopped/parked vehicles out of the way instead of having to jump around them into traffic.

Winnipeg Transit has a policy that they can't use the horns on their buses except for emergency situations, and it's recommended it be a "life or death" issue. So that idiot dropping his wife off in a no-stopping zone and having that "last kiss" before she gets out...won't get an air-horn blast in his rear to get him moving...at least not from a bus.

I, however, have been known to blast my vehicle horn quite obnoxiously at morons in a no-stopping zone. Maybe I should install an air-horn in my vehicle .