The city of St. John’s is taking steps to make public transit more accessible in the capital city as more people are choose to take the bus.
In the 2020 budget, which was brought down yesterday, it was announced that council will be implementing new enhancements to the Metrobus system.
Councillor Dave Lane says they’ve seen huge uptake in use of public transportation, so it’s a good place to invest. He says a strong public transit network can boost the economy, and they are seeing an increase of Metrobus use between 5-9 per cent a month.
Beginning on March 2, a pilot project will begin whereby route 6 will start servicing Galway, and on that same day all children under the age of 12 will be free.
The Metrobus Operating Grant for 2020 totals $18.34M. pic.twitter.com/nCIJZbYJSr
— City of St. John's (@CityofStJohns) December 2, 2019
Councilor Ian Froude, chair of St. John’s Transportation Commission, says making Metrobus free to children will help out a lot of families. He says right now those children are paying $2.00 per ride. If you have families with multiple children taking the bus the money really adds up. He says this initiative will help lift the burden off of families.
More Frequent Service on Most Popular Routes
In the second wave of changes to happen at Metrobus, on September 7 the city will be implementing phase one of its Frequent Transit Network
Froude says the core routes of the service – 1,2,3 and 10 will come more frequently at peak hours in the morning and evening
He says they heard from people during the transit review that the gaps between service were too long. They believe the more frequent trips will help bring more riders onto Metrobus and enhance the service for those already using it.
