Brandon ends on-demand transit pilot project that failed to meet 'desired outcomes'

A foray into on-demand transit in Manitoba's second-largest city will come to an end this weekend.

Brandon Transit's on-demand transit pilot program, which launched last November and was intended to run for a year, will end on Saturday, after "the results of this pilot project did not achieve our desired outcomes," the city said in a Wednesday news release.

The pilot was intended to work along with the existing fixed-route system in the city of roughly 51,000. The on-demand service operated from 6 p.m. to midnight, Monday to Saturday, with fixed-route service from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays).

The service allowed riders to request pickup and dropoff times from set locations, and aimed to provide pickups within 20 to 30 minutes of a request, said Carla Richardson, the City of Brandon's director of transportation.

But based on feedback, "riders made it very clear" that they prefer a service with fixed routes and schedules, "when we know it's coming at a dedicated time," Richardson said.

The on-demand pilot's key goals included reducing riders' time on the bus, getting a better understanding of areas where service is needed, and improving the on-time arrivals of buses.

Richardson said part of those goals was increasing ridership for the fixed-route service, as well as reducing kilometres travelled and diesel costs.

"We were wanting to get as much data as we possibly could," Richardson said. "With the pilot, we were able to track where are we picking up people, where are we dropping them off, what are the peak ridership … times and locations, and what other gaps are through the city that we are not aware of."

One of the key findings was that over a third of all trips came from three stops in Brandon — Shoppers Mall, the Corral Centre and the Assiniboine Community College east campus.

LISTEN | An October 2021 interview about Brandon's on-demand transit service:

Technology a barrier

Richardson said technology was also sometimes an impediment to the on-demand pilot, since not all users had easy access to online bookings.

A good portion of transit riders in Brandon come from vulnerable sectors, Richardson said, and may not have access to smartphones or mobile data.

Rushana Newman, the executive director of the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation, agreed lack of mobile data access was an issue for some people using the on-demand service.

"It did affect a wide cross-section of persons, but you know, persons knew that this is what they had to do, and so they found a way to kind of work through that."

The end of on-demand transit may create some uncertainty for those who rely on the bus regularly, she said. But for the most part, she agreed fixed routes seem to be preferred, since they provide consistency for riders, instead of having to book a bus "like an Uber."

Transit concerns are a common conversation at Assiniboine Community College, said Julia Teichroeb, the president of the college's student association, but she thinks the end of the pilot will have a positive impact for students.

"We're glad to see that they're going away from the on-demand transit system," she said. "There's going to be … more consistency for our students, who need that in their day-to-day lives."

ACC students rely heavily on city transit for getting to campus and around Brandon, said Teichroeb. The city is spread out, and the U-Pass —  a transit bus pass included in ACC student fees — is essential for those without other forms of transportation to navigate the sprawling city, she said.

The consistency of set routes is welcome, because students can work their schedules around that system, she said.

"We have had some students come in to talk to us about having to wait long periods of time for buses," said Teichroeb. "For students that are … working multiple jobs or have commitments at home like families, etc., being able get from place to place quickly is very important."

With the on-demand pilot ending, the city says it now plans to watch how on-demand technology continues to develop, and what approaches to transit are being taken in other communities of similar size to Brandon.

As a "thank you" to residents as the on-demand pilot ends, Brandon Transit will offer free service from 6 p.m. to midnight, from Sept. 6-10, the city said. Fares will continue to be collected from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and regular fare collection will resume on Sept. 11.