Thunder Bay Transit adjusting 'shadow buses' to decrease passengers per bus

Passengers riding Thunder Bay Transit should notice more shadow buses, and fewer riders per bus this week.

The changes mean buses run every 45 minutes, and service ends at 11 p.m.

Some buses though, have been crowded, and passengers feel they must get on, as the next ride is 45 minutes away, said Lesley Hudie, who rides transit across the city to get to work.

"It's been over 35 people that I could see and count in that congested back area. Sometimes they run two buses back to back, rather than running more frequently," said Hudie, noting that she has had drivers tell passengers if they are feeling uncomfortable, they can get off the bus.

She said she would like transit to have a better frequency, especially on main routes, to provide better service.

Hudie said she would like transit to better communicate its schedule changes, but also look at installing plexiglass barriers by drivers, so the front portion of the bus could also be used.

Changes happening

Thunder Bay's Transit Manager Brad Loroff said a service frequency increase in not planned for now, but, transit is still making changes to its service.

Loroff said transit is running additional "shadow buses" on routes, meaning one bus follows another for the entire route. The idea is passengers can then spread out between the two buses to avoid overcrowding.

The goal, is to have no more than 15 passengers on a bus at a time, he said.

"Operators are not to be passing people up. We're spending more of our efforts concentrating on where the demands are, and how we should be reacting to that."

Loroff said transit has put more buses on the Memorial, County Park and Airport runs, with more buses on between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. He said more changes are coming for the Mainline route as well.

"They biggest issues we've had are on our Memorial route and on our Mainline route."

Loroff said transit is able to monitor when buses are busy through passenger counters, drivers and other technologies, so the system has a good idea when buses are full.

"Our initial plan was to stage spare buses in the north side and south side of town. But, the easier, the more manageable approach to us is to pre-plan it, and pre-schedule it, and that's why it's taken us a couple of weeks to dial into it."

The City of Thunder Bay asks transit passengers only to use the service when it is absolutely necessary, such as for going to work, or getting essentials, like groceries.