To protect the health and safety of bus riders, residents and employees, non-medical face masks are required when traveling on Saskatoon Transit beginning September 1; as an added safety measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community, masks are recommended, but not required, when accessing indoor City-operated facilities and services.

“Our community spirit is strong when we work as one community to keep our guard up,” says Anthony Tataryn, Assistant Fire Chief. “Even if you have no symptoms, wearing a cloth or disposable mask is an extra measure we can all take to protect others around us, particularly in situations where two metres physical distancing cannot be maintained.”

City Council approved the measure at its meeting Monday, August 31. The change will allow Saskatoon Transit to safely operate full-seated loads and meet demand on all fixed route and Access Transit buses.

“Fall means back to school and the resumption of some activities, so we’ve looked at how we can meet the increased demand for our services,” says James McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit. “With more people riding the bus, physical distancing is not always possible, so requiring the use of masks is the next step to protect the health and safety of our riders and our bus operators.”

“The City is in the process of reopening of the remaining indoor leisure centres and revising the programs that are delivered in those facilities,” says Andrew Roberts, Director of Recreation and Community Development. “We have safety measures in place throughout our leisure centres to ensure the safety of both our employees and our customers and the use of masks is seen as an added precaution indoors where physical distancing may be difficult to keep at all times.”

If at any point in the future the Province provides direction related to mask use by the public the City would follow the Provincial lead. 

The City will focus on educating and informing the public of COVID-19 safety precautions and the use of non-medical face coverings as an additional safety precaution, rather than enforcement. 

For the latest updates on City services including a list of convenient online services, visit saskatoon.ca/covid-19. 

On Monday, August 24, the Governance & Priorities Committee will consider a report that addresses the use of non-medical face coverings by the public.

“COVID-19 is still a public emergency and according to public health experts, it will continue to impact City services and the community for months to come,” says Pamela Goulden-McLeod, Director of Emergency Management Organization. “At a local level, we continue to follow recommendations from the Government of Canada and the Provincial Government to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission using the hierarchy of controls. The hierarchy suggests that non-medical face coverings should be used when other controls such as staying at home, physical distancing, installing barriers, and altering services cannot be achieved.”

City Administration is recommending to Council that non-medical face masks be required when traveling on Saskatoon Transit beginning September 1 to allow Saskatoon Transit to safely operate full-seated loads and meet demand on all fixed route and Access Transit buses. The Administration is also recommending to Council that non-medical face masks are recommended, but not required, when accessing indoor City-operated facilities and services to protect the health and safety of residents and employees. Additionally, the report outlines implications and considerations in respect to a community-wide non-medical face masks bylaw.

“The health and well-being of our employees and residents continues to be our priority in putting these recommendations forward,” adds Goulden-McLeod. “By following the recommended safety precautions, and wearing a non-medical face mask indoors, we can continue to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community and protect the health of our family, friends and neighbours.”

If at any point in the future the Province provides direction related to mask use by the public the City would follow the Provincial lead. 

If approved, the City will focus on educating and informing the public of COVID-19 safety precautions and the use of non-medical face coverings as an additional safety precaution, rather than enforcement. 

Residents can expect additional City facilities to open in the days and weeks ahead. For the latest updates on City services including a list of convenient online services, visit saskatoon.ca/covid-19. 

Starting Sunday, August 30, 2020, a number of significant adjustments will be made to Saskatoon Transit routes. As the University of Saskatchewan will not be having in-person classes this fall, Saskatoon Transit will have limited bus routes returning to Place Riel.

Transit customers are encouraged to learn about the route changes by going to the website or calling the Transit Customer Service Centre at 306-975-3100. An overview of the affected routes will also be available on postcards at the Customer Service Centre in the downtown terminal.

These changes are being made to better meet the needs of citizens by providing service that meets demand, and decreasing passenger travel times. By offering high-frequency service along main corridors, Saskatoon Transit can provide more convenient travel and a quicker commute, reducing wait times and improving reliability, while reducing total travel time. 

Customers can plan their trip for September with the updated schedules as of August 23 using the app Transit. Riders are encouraged to plan their trip in advance and review the updated schedules before travelling as well as mark routes they use the most as a favourite in the app to get push notifications of service alerts.

Overview of the changes effective August 30:

• All high-frequency corridors will have 10-minute service to Downtown/22nd Street, Broadway Avenue /8th Street and Preston Avenue/Attridge Drive/College Drive.
• Route 4 City Centre will stop at bus stop #5935 (north side of College Drive, west of Bottomley Road).
• Route 5 Confederation Terminal/City Centre will only travel between Confederation Terminal, the Downtown Terminal and 24th Street.
• Route 6 City Centre will not go to the University Terminal but will stop at bus stop #5935 (north side of College Drive, west of Bottomley Road),
• Route 13 Lawson Heights/Broadway, 17 Stonebridge/University & 26 Forest Grove/University will have 30-minute service. Additional trips may be added if necessary.
• Route 43 Evergreen, 44 Willowgrove & 45 Arbor Creek will not go to the University Terminal but will stop at bus stop #5932 (south side of College Drive, east of Cumberland Avenue).
• Route 60 Confederation/City Centre and 65 Kensington/City Centre will see some schedule changes to accommodate 10-minute service on 22nd Street.
• Route 64 McCormack/City Centre will travel between Confederation Terminal and the Downtown Terminal to accommodate 10-minute service on 22nd Street and provide service to the current McCormack loop from Route 5

Saskatoon and New York — Saskatoon Transit announced today that, following a competitive bidding process, it has chosen Masabi, the global leader in mobile ticketing to deliver its next generation fare payment system. Masabi provides Fare Payments-as-a-Service (FPaaS) to public transit. Saskatoon Transit plans to launch the new system in 2021 following a comprehensive fare review.  

“In today’s world, riders are keen to ensure that unnecessary interactions with cash, machines and infrastructure is kept to a minimum, and this is just one of the huge advantages of Masabi’s Justride platform,” says Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit. “As we bring our city’s transit network into the 21st century, we are excited to be deploying a world-leading mobile and account-based ticketing system that will best serve our customers and allow us to grow and improve for years to come.”  

The ground-breaking new mobile ticketing and account-based ticketing solution will transform the passenger experience. Riders will control a single mobility account and ride across the city safely and seamlessly by tapping their mobile phones or smartcard to travel. Riders will be able to pre-purchase tickets and passes from their phones or add money to a new stored value account system, while the Justride platform automatically calculates and deducts the correct fare from riders’ accounts, applying best-fare policies where appropriate. 

“Now more than ever, the focus of transit agencies is on providing their customers with a simple, contactless and above all, safe system by which to travel, and by deploying Masabi’s fare payments as a service platform Justride, Saskatoon is doing just that,” says Brian Zanghi, CEO of Masabi. “In years gone by, this level of functionality and convenience took years to develop and deploy and would have been out of reach to all but the largest agencies. Today we can deliver market-leading technology to forward-thinking cities by providing FPaaS in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost. We do this using a platform which is constantly updating with new features and functionality, helping agencies keep up with the pace of technology change. We are delighted to have been selected to provide this system and look forward to working with Saskatoon Transit in the years to come.”  

Using Masabi’s Justride Software Development Kit (SDK), mobile ticketing will also be integrated into the Transit app, enabling a Mobility-as-a-Service experience. This will allow riders to plan their journeys, get real-time updates, pay their fares, and connect Saskatoon Transit with complementary transportation options, all in a single app. Masabi will also be working with partner Trapeze who provide Intelligent Transportation Systems (CAD/AVL), Mobility Planning and Scheduling, Workforce Management, Business Intelligence, and Traveler Experience solutions for Saskatoon Transit.   

“Integrating Saskatoon Transit’s new fare payments solution into the Transit app is a key step in giving riders a top-notch experience when they ride public transit,” said David Block-Schachter, Transit’s Chief Business Officer. “With this new, flexible fare payment system seamlessly connected to real-time information and trip planning in the Transit app, Saskatoon Transit is pulling to the head of the pack among transit operators in North America.” 

Saskatoon Transit has been selected as a finalist for Canada’s Safest Public Transportation Employer in the 10th annual Canada’s Safest Employers Awards, presented by Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) magazine. 

Canada’s Safest Employers Awards celebrate companies across the nation for their exceptional safety culture and wellness practices. 

Finalists were selected following an open call for nominations to COS magazine’s nationwide readership of 14,000 safety professionals. 

Winners will be selected by an esteemed independent judging panel and revealed during a virtual awards gala on October 22. 

This has been an incredibly challenging year for safety professionals and for businesses everywhere. It’s an honour to be acknowledged among the other finalists.  

For the full list of finalists, visit: www.safestemployers.com.       

Due to COVID-19 physical distancing requirements and the current phase of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, the City of Saskatoon already has a number of adjusted services in place. 

On Saskatchewan Day, Monday, August 3, 2020, there are several statutory holiday service adjustments. See full details on the City’s website.

Please visit saskatoon.ca/covid-19 for timely updates from the City of Saskatoon on everything you need to know to stay safe.

Happy Saskatchewan Day Saskatoon residents.

Effective Sunday, August 2^nd, Saskatoon Transit Customer Service Centre hours will be adjusted.  

Please call Customer Service at 306-975-3100 with any questions.

Saskatoon Transit is proud to announce it will be testing an electric bus over the next year as part of the public transport fleet. This initiative supports elements of the Official Community Plan and the City of Saskatoon’s Strategic Plan goals of Environmental Leadership and Moving Around.  

The total project cost is estimated to be $533,600 of which $234,300 is funded from the Green Municipal Fund (GMF), a fund financed by the Government of Canada and administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). 

Today’s announcement also reaches a milestone in Saskatoon’s Low Emission Community Plan, which prescribes the municipal transit fleet be 100% electric by 2030. The electric bus project’s net carbon emissions reduction is expected to be 50.3 tonnes of CO2 per bus, per year (this number accounts for the bus and the electrical grid’s emissions-intensity factors) and saves approximately $27,500 in fuel costs per bus, per year.   

This project will include a strong focus on how an electric bus will perform in Saskatchewan’s very cold winter weather, which will be of interest to many other Canadian communities with longer, colder winters like ours. Also, Saskatoon Transit’s collaboration on this project with the Saskatchewan Research Council will be valuable to replicate it and share that knowledge across the province. 

Quick facts: 

• The electric bus can be charged in approximately 5 hours 
• One bus is expected to reduce 50.3 tonnes of CO2 per year (this number accounts for the bus and the electrical grid’s emissions intensity factors) and save ~$27,500 in fuel costs per year compared to a conventional diesel bus
•  This electric bus pilot initiates one of the 40 actions in the Saskatoon’s Low Emission Community Plan for the municipal transit fleet to be 100% electric by 2030. The City will also start testing electric vehicles later this year as part of another transportation action to electrify the entire municipal fleet 
• The electric bus unit number will be 1948, representing the year the first 8 electric buses hit the streets of Saskatoon 

Benefits: 

• Improved air quality at transit terminals, and along bus routes will improve public health 
• Less noise pollution along bus routes will improve the community’s quality of life 
• Lower operation and maintenance costs  
• Offering a modern transit system will help to increase transit ridership 

Quotations: 
“We’re investing in the future. This electric bus pilot project will give the people of Saskatoon a practical and environmentally friendly option for their everyday commute. Canada’s Infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across Canada and builds stronger communities.” The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities 

“Zero emissions vehicles are part of Canada’s net-zero future. Our government is working to give Canadians greener options to get where they need to go.” The Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources 

“This is a great step towards the further expansion of zero-emission technology in Saskatoon. The world of transportation is changing rapidly and we need to adapt and implement these new technologies to be ready. This will also help us make important strides in meeting our long-term sustainability goals.” City of Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark 

“Local governments are Canada’s builders. They own nearly two thirds of the public infrastructure that supports Canada’s economy and quality of life. Whether it’s through better transit, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, or stronger local infrastructure, municipalities like Saskatoon are building better lives for Canadians. Supported by our strong federal-municipal partnership, FCM’s Green Municipal fund helps municipalities do what they do best: deliver solutions that work.” Darren Hill, FCM Third Vice-President and Councillor, City of Saskatoon 

"Buses already help tackle climate change by providing a way to get around other than in cars or trucks. With more people taking transit in Saskatoon, electric buses will make a real difference. This pilot helps Saskatoon Transit achieve our goal of replacing 10 conventional buses with electric buses per year, creating an all-electric fleet within the next 10 years." Jim McDonald, Director of Saskatoon Transit. 

Due to COVID-19 physical distancing requirements and the current phase of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, the City of Saskatoon already has a number of adjusted services in place. 

On Canada Day, Wednesday, July 1, 2020, there are several statutory holiday service adjustments. See full details on the City’s website.

Please visit saskatoon.ca/covid-19 for timely updates from the City of Saskatoon on everything you need to know to stay safe.

Happy Canada Saskatoon residents.