Winnipeg Transit’s on-request service is expanding into the northwest part of the city, and Mayor Scott Gillingham says part of the goal is to boost demand for transit.
On-Request, which allows riders to request a bus and track it using a mobile app, currently operates in three zones in south and central Winnipeg and provides transit access in neighbourhoods that would otherwise have no service.
On Tuesday, the city announced it will be adding a fourth zone in the Maples area starting Sept. 1. There’ll also be a new feeder route to link the Castlebury Meadows and Waterford Green neighbourhoods to Garden City Shopping Centre during peak hours.
“When we look at the northwest quadrant of the city that is seeing rapid growth, there is a demand for transit,” Coun. Janice Lukes, chair of the city’s public works committee, said at a Tuesday news conference.
“But it doesn’t quite bring forward the demand [for] constant transit routes, so On-Request means more people in the city will be able to access transit.”
The new service zone will be operational on weekdays between 9:20 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. and between 7:45 p.m. and 11 p.m., the city said. It will operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. during weekends and public holidays.
The service’s current app will be discontinued as it will become part of the Winnipeg Transit Plus On-Request app, which started up in July and already hosts Winnipeg Transit Plus.
People should download the new app before the Aug. 27 launch, the city says. It is available in both English and French and can be downloaded on the Apple and Google Play stores. It will also be accessed online.
On-Request will become a permanent fixture of Winnipeg Transit, the city announced Tuesday. It was initially launched as a pilot project in 2021 to replace the DART — or “dial-a-ride-transit” — service.
Mayor Scott Gillingham said part of the intention behind On-Request is to create demand for transit, as the new service zone can help connect new Winnipeggers to school, work and recreational activities — possibly leading to new permanent routes.
“That community is attracting a lot of newcomers to our city, so this is a great opportunity to introduce them to our transit service and our transit system,” he said.
Point Douglas Coun. Vivian Santos, who represents part of the new service zone, said adding the zone is about more than just expanding the transit map.
“It’s about connecting our communities and making sure that everyone has access to reliable and convenient transportation,” she said at the news conference.