Saskatoon Transit is asking riders to “be bus ready” ahead of back-to-school rush
When classes resume in September, Saskatoon Transit wants customers to know that buses will be busy and some buses during morning and afternoon rush hours may be too full to take on more passengers. If you plan to take the bus during morning or afternoon rush hour peak times, please plan ahead to avoid delays that can happen with peak riding times.
Trips on routes in all areas of the city can fill up; however, it’s typically felt on routes to and from high schools and post-secondary schools in the morning and afternoon. This was an issue during the previous school year and ridership is expected to be higher this fall, exacerbating the overcapacity issue.
“Saskatoon Transit is gearing up for its busiest season as students head back to class. Unfortunately, the demand is here faster than the new buses on order, so we expect buses to be very full with limited extra buses to add to service,” says Mike Moellenbeck, Director of Saskatoon Transit. “We apologize to customers who are affected and are committed to addressing the overcapacity routes as best we can with the limited options.”
All available buses are on the road and there may not be enough to meet the frequency or capacity needed on some routes to take everyone at peak times. The eight new buses arriving at the end of the year will help with some of the issues and Saskatoon Transit will be in a good position to meet the demand by the end of 2025 when the next order of 20 buses arrives.
Where someone with a car may leave earlier to avoid rush-hour traffic, someone using public transit may want to consider taking an earlier bus if possible, to avoid delays that can happen with everyone trying to get to work and school at the same time," Moellenbeck adds.
September is a busy time for Saskatoon Transit. “Be bus ready” for back-to-school and follow these tips for taking transit this September:
- Download the real-time mobile app Transit or Google Maps and plan your September trips with the new fall schedule.
- Check on options for routes, stops and times to get to your destination. If possible, an earlier bus might help avoid delays that can happen with peak riding times.
- Be ready to hop on when the bus comes with your pass ready to scan. All riders are expected to pay bus fare.
- Make space for others: Move to the back of the bus and lower your backpack.
- If you can stand, please offer your seat to someone who isn’t as steady.
A 10-year fleet renewal funding plan was approved in 2023 to increase and improve the reliability of the fleet. Eight new buses will arrive this winter and another 20 are expected by the end of 2025, as the lead time on bus delivery can be up to 18 months. Saskatoon Transit made several changes to operations and maintenance to improve the overall service delivery following a 2022 City Auditor review.
Saskatoon Transit ridership continues to grow and is anticipated to match or surpass the 2019 peak of 13.2 million rides in 2024. Year-to-date ridership at July 31, 2024 is approximately 18% higher than July 31, 2023 year-to-date ridership.