Articulating buses bring flexible options to Regina transit.
Julia Peterson · CBC News · Posted: Apr 25, 2021 3:08 PM CT | Last Updated: April 25
The City of Regina has introduced two new 60-foot buses to its fleet, to help meet demand on high-traffic routes and increase the transit system's efficiency.
"We've never had a 60-foot bus in our inventory," said Brad Bells, director of transit and fleet services for the City of Regina. "Normally, we have 40-foot buses.… We're pretty much the last major municipality in Canada without a 60-foot bus."
According to Bells, while these longer buses with their bendy "accordion" section in the middle are more expensive than their shorter counterparts — $900,000 each, compared to $600,000 for a 40-foot bus — they will be more efficient in the long run as they cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and need fewer driver hours to operate.
The City of Regina has purchased two articulating buses to add to its transportation fleet. (Matt Duguid/CBC)
The city will be piloting the buses on route 18 — between Harbour Landing and the University of Regina — Beginning May 9th, 2021.
And while Regina Transit has seen a steep decline in ridership over the last 14 months due to COVID-19, Bells is confident the larger buses will be needed once the pandemic is over.
"We do think we will need them in the future, and we definitely needed them when we ordered them … back in late 2019," he said. "When we were in business back pre-COVID, route 18 was extremely busy."
A typical 40-foot bus in Regina's fleet can accommodate about 37 seated people, or 57 standing. The articulating buses have over 50 seats, and a full standing load is over 100 people.
Bells expects the new buses to integrate themselves fairly seamlessly into the existing Regina Transit infrastructure.
"Obviously, you've got the accordion in the middle that has a bit of different maintenance to it, but really, the training of the bus itself is basically the same," he said. "It basically has the same features that you see on a 40-foot bus for safety and accessibility.... we test-drove a bus before and made sure that the 60-foot ones could do the turn radius we want on the roads that we have it on."
Bells also believes the articulating buses could be very useful for transportation during major sporting events in the city.
"That was also one of our strategies in purchasing the 60-foot buses," he said. "When those large events happen back at Mosaic Stadium, that is exactly an opportunity for these buses to be in service."
Julia Peterson · CBC News · Posted: Apr 25, 2021 3:08 PM CT | Last Updated: April 25
The City of Regina has introduced two new 60-foot buses to its fleet, to help meet demand on high-traffic routes and increase the transit system's efficiency.
"We've never had a 60-foot bus in our inventory," said Brad Bells, director of transit and fleet services for the City of Regina. "Normally, we have 40-foot buses.… We're pretty much the last major municipality in Canada without a 60-foot bus."
According to Bells, while these longer buses with their bendy "accordion" section in the middle are more expensive than their shorter counterparts — $900,000 each, compared to $600,000 for a 40-foot bus — they will be more efficient in the long run as they cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and need fewer driver hours to operate.
The City of Regina has purchased two articulating buses to add to its transportation fleet. (Matt Duguid/CBC)
The city will be piloting the buses on route 18 — between Harbour Landing and the University of Regina — Beginning May 9th, 2021.
And while Regina Transit has seen a steep decline in ridership over the last 14 months due to COVID-19, Bells is confident the larger buses will be needed once the pandemic is over.
"We do think we will need them in the future, and we definitely needed them when we ordered them … back in late 2019," he said. "When we were in business back pre-COVID, route 18 was extremely busy."
A typical 40-foot bus in Regina's fleet can accommodate about 37 seated people, or 57 standing. The articulating buses have over 50 seats, and a full standing load is over 100 people.
Bells expects the new buses to integrate themselves fairly seamlessly into the existing Regina Transit infrastructure.
"Obviously, you've got the accordion in the middle that has a bit of different maintenance to it, but really, the training of the bus itself is basically the same," he said. "It basically has the same features that you see on a 40-foot bus for safety and accessibility.... we test-drove a bus before and made sure that the 60-foot ones could do the turn radius we want on the roads that we have it on."
Bells also believes the articulating buses could be very useful for transportation during major sporting events in the city.
"That was also one of our strategies in purchasing the 60-foot buses," he said. "When those large events happen back at Mosaic Stadium, that is exactly an opportunity for these buses to be in service."
Brad Bells, director of transit and fleet services for the City of Regina, says transportation staff including drivers and maintenance workers should be able to quickly adapt to the new buses. (Matt Duguid/CBC)
Bells also believes the articulating buses could be very useful for transportation during major sporting events in the city.
"That was also one of our strategies in purchasing the 60-foot buses," he said. "When those large events happen back at Mosaic Stadium, that is exactly an opportunity for these buses to be in service."
Bells also believes the articulating buses could be very useful for transportation during major sporting events in the city.
"That was also one of our strategies in purchasing the 60-foot buses," he said. "When those large events happen back at Mosaic Stadium, that is exactly an opportunity for these buses to be in service."
Big step towards operator safety as City Council approves operator shields and additional mobility restraints
(March 9, 2021)
Regina Transit Operator tests positive for COVID-19
Don’t blame bus drivers if passengers don’t wear masks
Letter to the Editor in response to negative comments on local and social media
Regina Leader-Post
Publishing date: Oct 3, 2020
I would like to take a moment and explain the position of the City of Regina transit operators regarding the “mandatory mask” policy. We’re aware of the comments and complaints that have come in regarding Regina Transit’s mandatory mask policy and the customers’ concerns that the operators are not enforcing it.
We can’t stress enough, our operators’ safety is our priority here. As we’ve seen demonstrated time and time again, enforcement of this will lead to conflict and possible assaults or worse. We’ve seen physical assaults on operators in San Francisco, New York City and Lubbock, Tex. We’ve even seen an operator tragically murdered in France. We’ve seen passengers get into a fight with each other in Surrey, B.C. just this past week. All for simply asking people to wear masks. We believe this justifies our opposition to operators enforcing this policy. Our operators deserve to go home to their families safely after every shift. Asking us to police this is simply putting us into harm’s way.
The City of Regina has an opportunity to assist us with this message that it is not up to the operators to police the passengers. There are internal and external posters, notifications posted in bus shelters along with announcements coming from the bus itself advising the passengers that masks are mandatory/required to be used while on the bus.
It is the passenger’s responsibility to protect themselves and others by wearing the masks while in any City of Regina vehicle as was asked by the city.
The negative comments toward the operators are unnecessary. They’re simply trying to get through their shift without any incidents onboard and make it home safely at the end of their day. We’re in this together and ask for your help.
Kevin Lucier, Regina
Lucier is president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 588 which represents City of Regina bus drivers.
Regina Leader-Post
Publishing date: Oct 3, 2020
I would like to take a moment and explain the position of the City of Regina transit operators regarding the “mandatory mask” policy. We’re aware of the comments and complaints that have come in regarding Regina Transit’s mandatory mask policy and the customers’ concerns that the operators are not enforcing it.
We can’t stress enough, our operators’ safety is our priority here. As we’ve seen demonstrated time and time again, enforcement of this will lead to conflict and possible assaults or worse. We’ve seen physical assaults on operators in San Francisco, New York City and Lubbock, Tex. We’ve even seen an operator tragically murdered in France. We’ve seen passengers get into a fight with each other in Surrey, B.C. just this past week. All for simply asking people to wear masks. We believe this justifies our opposition to operators enforcing this policy. Our operators deserve to go home to their families safely after every shift. Asking us to police this is simply putting us into harm’s way.
The City of Regina has an opportunity to assist us with this message that it is not up to the operators to police the passengers. There are internal and external posters, notifications posted in bus shelters along with announcements coming from the bus itself advising the passengers that masks are mandatory/required to be used while on the bus.
It is the passenger’s responsibility to protect themselves and others by wearing the masks while in any City of Regina vehicle as was asked by the city.
The negative comments toward the operators are unnecessary. They’re simply trying to get through their shift without any incidents onboard and make it home safely at the end of their day. We’re in this together and ask for your help.
Kevin Lucier, Regina
Lucier is president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 588 which represents City of Regina bus drivers.
Masks not being enforced on Regina Transit
Aired on CTV NEWS Regina: Sept 29, 2020
City expanding mask availability for
public transit passengers
Regina Leader-Post
Publishing date: Sep 30, 2020
The City of Regina will soon be making masks more accessible to people who ride public transit as Mayor Michael Fougere called on residents for the second time to mask up before getting on a bus.
“We want to note that between Sept. 7 and 14 we had a passenger who had COVID that rode our system and exposed many people to that, and that person did not wear a mask,” Fougere told reporters on Wednesday. The exact dates and routes the passenger took were reported earlier by the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
City expanding mask availability for public transit passengers“I’m appealing once again to residents to please wear a mask when you are on transit.”
Masks have been mandatory on public transit since Aug. 31, but the City of Regina has previously said it will not be enforcing the rule and passengers who do not wear a mask will not be denied service.
In mid-August, Fougere urged residents to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces — including transit — and now he is renewing that call.
Article content continued“We want to approach this through an education process rather than heavy-handed,” said Kim Onrait, the city’s executive director of citizen services.
Between 85 and 100 per cent of passengers comply with the mask mandate on transit, depending on the route, “but that’s not good enough,” Fougere said. He noted the city may look at stronger enforcement of the mask policy if Regina’s case numbers climb.
The city currently provides masks to passengers who do not have one at three locations — the Golden Mile Mall, Southland Mall and the Transit Information Centre downtown. Masks are not available on each bus as passengers come on board. So far the city has given away 3,000 masks.
Fougere said the city will soon be providing even more masks to passengers by expanding the locations where masks are offered, although he provided little detail about where those locations would be or when that will be implemented.
Those new locations will be “known very quickly” and more masks available “as soon as possible,” Fougere said.
“We want to avoid that second wave that appears to be happening around the world and want to continue to keep Regina open because we think our economy can recover quite quickly, but we do need Regina residents’ help,” he said.
Publishing date: Sep 30, 2020
The City of Regina will soon be making masks more accessible to people who ride public transit as Mayor Michael Fougere called on residents for the second time to mask up before getting on a bus.
“We want to note that between Sept. 7 and 14 we had a passenger who had COVID that rode our system and exposed many people to that, and that person did not wear a mask,” Fougere told reporters on Wednesday. The exact dates and routes the passenger took were reported earlier by the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
City expanding mask availability for public transit passengers“I’m appealing once again to residents to please wear a mask when you are on transit.”
Masks have been mandatory on public transit since Aug. 31, but the City of Regina has previously said it will not be enforcing the rule and passengers who do not wear a mask will not be denied service.
In mid-August, Fougere urged residents to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces — including transit — and now he is renewing that call.
Article content continued“We want to approach this through an education process rather than heavy-handed,” said Kim Onrait, the city’s executive director of citizen services.
Between 85 and 100 per cent of passengers comply with the mask mandate on transit, depending on the route, “but that’s not good enough,” Fougere said. He noted the city may look at stronger enforcement of the mask policy if Regina’s case numbers climb.
The city currently provides masks to passengers who do not have one at three locations — the Golden Mile Mall, Southland Mall and the Transit Information Centre downtown. Masks are not available on each bus as passengers come on board. So far the city has given away 3,000 masks.
Fougere said the city will soon be providing even more masks to passengers by expanding the locations where masks are offered, although he provided little detail about where those locations would be or when that will be implemented.
Those new locations will be “known very quickly” and more masks available “as soon as possible,” Fougere said.
“We want to avoid that second wave that appears to be happening around the world and want to continue to keep Regina open because we think our economy can recover quite quickly, but we do need Regina residents’ help,” he said.
Possible COVID-19 exposure on Regina Transit, Superstore
Regina Leader-Post
Publishing date: Sep 19, 2020
The Saskatchewan Health Authority is warning the public of a possible COVID-19 exposure on several Regina buses and at a south end grocery store.
A person who tested positive visited the Golden Mile Superstore on Sept. 12 (4:30-5:30 p.m.), Sept. 14 (12:30-12:45 p.m.) and Sept. 16 (3-3:30 p.m.).
Possible COVID-19 exposure on Regina Transit, SuperstoreThe person also rode on Regina Transit buses on the following dates:
Sept. 7
Route 9 (south to east), 1-2 p.m.
Sept. 8
Route 7 (south to east), 1:50-2:50 p.m.
Route 7 (east to south), 9:30-10:30 p.m.
Sept. 10
Route 7 (south to east), 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Route 7 (east to south), 9:30-10:30 p.m.
Sept. 11
Route 7 (south to east), 4-5 p.m.
Route 7 (east to south), 9:30-10:30 p.m.
Sept. 13
Route 9 (south to east), 1:20-2:20 p.m.
Sept. 14
Route 9 (south to downtown), 10:30-10:45 a.m.
Route 40 (south), noon-12:20 p.m.
Route 7 (south to east), 3-4 p.m.
Route 7 (east to south), 9:30-10:30 p.m.
Anyone at the store or on the buses is advised to immediately self-isolate if they have had or currently have symptoms of COVID-19 and to call HealthLine 811 to arrange for testing. All other individuals who are not experiencing symptoms should self monitor for 14 days. It is important to note that individuals may develop symptoms from two to 14 days following exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19.
According to the City of Regina, Regina Transit has also been working to inform any staff that may have been exposed to the individual.
Regina Transit has already implemented a number of safety protocols were already to help minimize the risk of transmission between drivers and the public, the city also noted. These safety precautions include driver curtains, the mandatory usage of masks and daily fogging of the buses.
Publishing date: Sep 19, 2020
The Saskatchewan Health Authority is warning the public of a possible COVID-19 exposure on several Regina buses and at a south end grocery store.
A person who tested positive visited the Golden Mile Superstore on Sept. 12 (4:30-5:30 p.m.), Sept. 14 (12:30-12:45 p.m.) and Sept. 16 (3-3:30 p.m.).
Possible COVID-19 exposure on Regina Transit, SuperstoreThe person also rode on Regina Transit buses on the following dates:
Sept. 7
Route 9 (south to east), 1-2 p.m.
Sept. 8
Route 7 (south to east), 1:50-2:50 p.m.
Route 7 (east to south), 9:30-10:30 p.m.
Sept. 10
Route 7 (south to east), 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Route 7 (east to south), 9:30-10:30 p.m.
Sept. 11
Route 7 (south to east), 4-5 p.m.
Route 7 (east to south), 9:30-10:30 p.m.
Sept. 13
Route 9 (south to east), 1:20-2:20 p.m.
Sept. 14
Route 9 (south to downtown), 10:30-10:45 a.m.
Route 40 (south), noon-12:20 p.m.
Route 7 (south to east), 3-4 p.m.
Route 7 (east to south), 9:30-10:30 p.m.
Anyone at the store or on the buses is advised to immediately self-isolate if they have had or currently have symptoms of COVID-19 and to call HealthLine 811 to arrange for testing. All other individuals who are not experiencing symptoms should self monitor for 14 days. It is important to note that individuals may develop symptoms from two to 14 days following exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19.
According to the City of Regina, Regina Transit has also been working to inform any staff that may have been exposed to the individual.
Regina Transit has already implemented a number of safety protocols were already to help minimize the risk of transmission between drivers and the public, the city also noted. These safety precautions include driver curtains, the mandatory usage of masks and daily fogging of the buses.
City of Regina launches new on demand bus pilot project
Regina Leader-Post
Publishing date: Aug 26, 2020
"It allows them to be picked up and dropped at the bus stops of their choice in the service area."
Starting next week, Regina residents will be able to summon a city bus with their phone.
The City of Regina launched a new transit pilot project called On Demand on Wednesday, which will see Route #10 converted from a fixed route to an on demand route from Aug. 31 to Dec. 31.
“It’s an innovative way for customers to get to and from their destinations using transit. It allows them to be picked up and dropped at the bus stops of their choice in the service area,” Brad Bells, the city’s director of transit and fleet, told reporters at the launch of the pilot.
The On Demand option will run on Route #10 from Monday to Friday, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. This route covers parts of downtown, the Warehouse District and as far west as the Normanview Mall.
Residents can book a ride by visiting regina.ca/ondemand, calling 306-777-7725 or downloading the On Demand Transit app and creating an account.
Nathan Luhning, manager of transit administration, said the app is the easiest way to book a ride. Once someone has created an account, they can select which bus stop they want to be picked up from and which one they want to be dropped off at within the service region. Rides can either be booked for immediate use or for up to two days in advance.
The service has no fees other than the regular bus fee.
Bells said the city picked Route #10 to conduct the pilot because it is one of the lowest performing routes.
“We think it’s going to be a good test for us to see if we can increase ridership in this range,” he said.
“We’re thinking that maybe some of our users aren’t using the route because it is a fixed route and fixed times, and this way with the on demand they can pick the times that are best for them.”
Other municipalities who run this type of service also recommended starting with a low performing route.
The city hopes that, through this pilot, Regina transit will see an increased number of users while “offering customers more flexibility when they book their rides instead of waiting for a fixed route transit system,” said Bells, noting this is something for which customers have been asking.
Should the pilot be successful in doing that, Bells said the city will consider implementing the on demand service along other routes in 2021.
“It could be a combination of fixed routes with the on demand,” he said. “We want to test it and it may be a way for us to deliver transit service in the future.”
Publishing date: Aug 26, 2020
"It allows them to be picked up and dropped at the bus stops of their choice in the service area."
Starting next week, Regina residents will be able to summon a city bus with their phone.
The City of Regina launched a new transit pilot project called On Demand on Wednesday, which will see Route #10 converted from a fixed route to an on demand route from Aug. 31 to Dec. 31.
“It’s an innovative way for customers to get to and from their destinations using transit. It allows them to be picked up and dropped at the bus stops of their choice in the service area,” Brad Bells, the city’s director of transit and fleet, told reporters at the launch of the pilot.
The On Demand option will run on Route #10 from Monday to Friday, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. This route covers parts of downtown, the Warehouse District and as far west as the Normanview Mall.
Residents can book a ride by visiting regina.ca/ondemand, calling 306-777-7725 or downloading the On Demand Transit app and creating an account.
Nathan Luhning, manager of transit administration, said the app is the easiest way to book a ride. Once someone has created an account, they can select which bus stop they want to be picked up from and which one they want to be dropped off at within the service region. Rides can either be booked for immediate use or for up to two days in advance.
The service has no fees other than the regular bus fee.
Bells said the city picked Route #10 to conduct the pilot because it is one of the lowest performing routes.
“We think it’s going to be a good test for us to see if we can increase ridership in this range,” he said.
“We’re thinking that maybe some of our users aren’t using the route because it is a fixed route and fixed times, and this way with the on demand they can pick the times that are best for them.”
Other municipalities who run this type of service also recommended starting with a low performing route.
The city hopes that, through this pilot, Regina transit will see an increased number of users while “offering customers more flexibility when they book their rides instead of waiting for a fixed route transit system,” said Bells, noting this is something for which customers have been asking.
Should the pilot be successful in doing that, Bells said the city will consider implementing the on demand service along other routes in 2021.
“It could be a combination of fixed routes with the on demand,” he said. “We want to test it and it may be a way for us to deliver transit service in the future.”
City looking at transit safety options for drivers as pandemic wears on
The City of Regina posted a public tender with an eye to safety for bus drivers. The fact finding mission will look at driver barrier shields for buses.
Alec Salloum
Publishing date: Aug 24, 2020
Kevin Lucier says bus drivers in Regina have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic since Day 1, and with that comes daily worries about safety.
“We’ve been pretty lucky that we’ve had no infections, but with that said, the fear is pretty high. Our members are pretty stressed “said Lucier, president of ATU Local 588 which represents bus drivers and transit workers in the city.
City looking at transit safety options for drivers as pandemic wears on. He said he appreciated the city’s quick action bringing in measures to reduce service along routes, issue protective gear and run at half capacity which allowed riders to social distance.
But, Lucier is hoping for more permanent steps and protocols; specifically, procuring new barriers for bus drivers.
Nathan Luhning, manager of transit administration, said buses currently have plastic curtains in place that drivers can drawn open or closed.
“When these were installed, we looked to just see what was available to protect our employees,” said Luhning.
Last week the city placed a request for information (RFI) regarding bus driver barrier shields. The tender is a fact-finding endeavour to see what is currently available on the market and what would work for the current fleet of 122 buses.
“We want to make sure that what we have works and works well,” said Luhning. “This would be information to have on hand.”
Part of the fact-finding mission will be to establish a time frame on how and when the shields would be installed, testimonials from other municipalities that have installed shields and what it would cost to implement in Regina. Luhning said there have been wide ranging responses to safety on public transit during the pandemic, and that the RFI would be a way to collect, assess and act on the best practices used by other municipalities.
Lucier said even though the shields won’t be installed immediately, he’s hopeful the city will move quickly.
“The endgame is trying to get those full shields,” said Lucier. “We very much support that. They’re going to start looking at the cost of these things and hopefully the right decision is made.”
Lucier said as the world settles in to endure COVID-19 for the foreseeable future, permanent shields would be preferred for the safety of driver and rider alike.
On Aug. 31, mask use will be advised by the city on public transit, and while signage on buses states that masks are mandatory, a rider unable or not willing to wear a mask will still be allowed to use transit. Even if one can debate how mandatory the mask rule will actually be, Lucier said he’s happy the city took this approach.
“The last thing we ever wanted was our members trying to enforce this. That’s just going to lead to conflict and possible assault,” he said. Looking around Canada and the U.S., Lucier said the potential for violence is there, so a soft touch is appreciated.
“It’s not a position we want to be in. We will definitely not be enforcing this ourselves.”
[email protected]
Publishing date: Aug 24, 2020
Kevin Lucier says bus drivers in Regina have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic since Day 1, and with that comes daily worries about safety.
“We’ve been pretty lucky that we’ve had no infections, but with that said, the fear is pretty high. Our members are pretty stressed “said Lucier, president of ATU Local 588 which represents bus drivers and transit workers in the city.
City looking at transit safety options for drivers as pandemic wears on. He said he appreciated the city’s quick action bringing in measures to reduce service along routes, issue protective gear and run at half capacity which allowed riders to social distance.
But, Lucier is hoping for more permanent steps and protocols; specifically, procuring new barriers for bus drivers.
Nathan Luhning, manager of transit administration, said buses currently have plastic curtains in place that drivers can drawn open or closed.
“When these were installed, we looked to just see what was available to protect our employees,” said Luhning.
Last week the city placed a request for information (RFI) regarding bus driver barrier shields. The tender is a fact-finding endeavour to see what is currently available on the market and what would work for the current fleet of 122 buses.
“We want to make sure that what we have works and works well,” said Luhning. “This would be information to have on hand.”
Part of the fact-finding mission will be to establish a time frame on how and when the shields would be installed, testimonials from other municipalities that have installed shields and what it would cost to implement in Regina. Luhning said there have been wide ranging responses to safety on public transit during the pandemic, and that the RFI would be a way to collect, assess and act on the best practices used by other municipalities.
Lucier said even though the shields won’t be installed immediately, he’s hopeful the city will move quickly.
“The endgame is trying to get those full shields,” said Lucier. “We very much support that. They’re going to start looking at the cost of these things and hopefully the right decision is made.”
Lucier said as the world settles in to endure COVID-19 for the foreseeable future, permanent shields would be preferred for the safety of driver and rider alike.
On Aug. 31, mask use will be advised by the city on public transit, and while signage on buses states that masks are mandatory, a rider unable or not willing to wear a mask will still be allowed to use transit. Even if one can debate how mandatory the mask rule will actually be, Lucier said he’s happy the city took this approach.
“The last thing we ever wanted was our members trying to enforce this. That’s just going to lead to conflict and possible assault,” he said. Looking around Canada and the U.S., Lucier said the potential for violence is there, so a soft touch is appreciated.
“It’s not a position we want to be in. We will definitely not be enforcing this ourselves.”
[email protected]
Council declines to throw transit master plan under the bus
Alec Salloum
Publishing date: Jul 30, 2020
The city is moving forward with the development of a transit master plan (TMP) despite critics who say there’s no need for it since the problems are already known.
Still, council voted unanimously this week in favour of setting aside funds to develop the wide-reaching plan to improve transit in the city.
MacKenzie Kotylak, with Regina Citizens Public Transit Coalition, said city council’s heart is in the right place but having more buses, longer hours, and more express routes would be a better use of the money.
“We need to have a safe and accessible transit system now if we are going to have a sustainable city to live in by 2050,” said Kotylak
Florence Stratton says when she heard about the city’s plan to commission and pay for a TMP, the metaphor of throwing someone under the bus kept coming to mind.
Stratton and others asked the city to reconsider the price tag associated with the master plan and instead invest that money.
“The $440,000 earmarked to develop the new master plan could, instead, be invested in Regina Transit,” said Stratton.
On July 6 during a priorities and planning committee meeting, councillors voted unanimously in favour of creating a TMP. Doing so is estimated to cost $440,000 with $100,000 coming from the budget this year and the rest in 2021.
Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Stevens asked administration why city had to hire a consultant to conduct the study, and whether it could be done internally.
Kim Onrait, executive director of citizen services, said the plan would look at the next 25 years, clarifying this money isn’t going to transit now, or to a hub.
“This requires a higher level of expertise,” said Onrait, adding that the public will be consulted throughout the development of the plan.
“We need to bring in work that has been done across Canada or across the U.S. in terms of what type of service best fits Regina,” he said.
Onrait said a pilot program is set to roll for September looking at “greening transit” by examining new power sources for buses.
In response to a question from Coun. Joel Murray (Ward 6), Onrait confirmed autonomous buses would be considered over the next two and half decades.
The TMP is set to be an all-encompassing look at transit in Regina that would try to align the service with the existing Official Community Plan from 2013. The plan will also look to enhance transit to the downtown core of the city, establishing where it makes the most sense to create a transit hub. Where that hub will go is a matter of much speculation.
Currently, the hub is along 11th Avenue near the Cornwall Centre. Some delegates that spoke on Wednesday encouraged council to remove all parking for private vehicles along that corridor to make bus traffic faster and better.
“I would like to see a transit system that is used by many people,” said Mayor Michael Fougere.
But since questions linger around where a hub should be placed, how to encourage ridership and how to get people to ride instead of drive to their downtown workplaces the Mayor said a review and plan was needed.
[email protected]
Publishing date: Jul 30, 2020
The city is moving forward with the development of a transit master plan (TMP) despite critics who say there’s no need for it since the problems are already known.
Still, council voted unanimously this week in favour of setting aside funds to develop the wide-reaching plan to improve transit in the city.
MacKenzie Kotylak, with Regina Citizens Public Transit Coalition, said city council’s heart is in the right place but having more buses, longer hours, and more express routes would be a better use of the money.
“We need to have a safe and accessible transit system now if we are going to have a sustainable city to live in by 2050,” said Kotylak
Florence Stratton says when she heard about the city’s plan to commission and pay for a TMP, the metaphor of throwing someone under the bus kept coming to mind.
Stratton and others asked the city to reconsider the price tag associated with the master plan and instead invest that money.
“The $440,000 earmarked to develop the new master plan could, instead, be invested in Regina Transit,” said Stratton.
On July 6 during a priorities and planning committee meeting, councillors voted unanimously in favour of creating a TMP. Doing so is estimated to cost $440,000 with $100,000 coming from the budget this year and the rest in 2021.
Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Stevens asked administration why city had to hire a consultant to conduct the study, and whether it could be done internally.
Kim Onrait, executive director of citizen services, said the plan would look at the next 25 years, clarifying this money isn’t going to transit now, or to a hub.
“This requires a higher level of expertise,” said Onrait, adding that the public will be consulted throughout the development of the plan.
“We need to bring in work that has been done across Canada or across the U.S. in terms of what type of service best fits Regina,” he said.
Onrait said a pilot program is set to roll for September looking at “greening transit” by examining new power sources for buses.
In response to a question from Coun. Joel Murray (Ward 6), Onrait confirmed autonomous buses would be considered over the next two and half decades.
The TMP is set to be an all-encompassing look at transit in Regina that would try to align the service with the existing Official Community Plan from 2013. The plan will also look to enhance transit to the downtown core of the city, establishing where it makes the most sense to create a transit hub. Where that hub will go is a matter of much speculation.
Currently, the hub is along 11th Avenue near the Cornwall Centre. Some delegates that spoke on Wednesday encouraged council to remove all parking for private vehicles along that corridor to make bus traffic faster and better.
“I would like to see a transit system that is used by many people,” said Mayor Michael Fougere.
But since questions linger around where a hub should be placed, how to encourage ridership and how to get people to ride instead of drive to their downtown workplaces the Mayor said a review and plan was needed.
[email protected]
Councillors votes unanimously in favour
of developing transit master plan
Alec Salloum
Publishing date: Jul 06, 2020
The city is on route to create a master plan looking at transit in Regina over the next 25 years.
During the Priorities and Planning committee meeting Monday, council voted unanimously in favour of earmarking $440,000 to develop a transit master plan (TMP).
Kim Onrait, executive director of citizen services, said the plan will be an all-encompassing look at transit that would help align the service with the existing Official Community Plan from 2013.
The plan will also look to enhance transit to the downtown core of the city, establishing where it makes the most sense to create a transit hub. Mayor Michael Fougere said amidst downtown offices switching to work-from-home models getting people downtown is massively important.
“It’s a critical element for the life blood of downtown, bringing people to and from downtown,” said Fougere.
The TMP will include long range financial planning for fleet, staffing and facilities.
The estimated cost to develop the plan starts with $100,000 this year from the citizen service operating budget with up to $340,000 in 2021 to further develop the TMP.
Some of the goals of the TMP are to increase ridership through short-term route improvements, to make long-term route plans taking into account how the city will grow, a total review of the paratransit service, review of fare collection and several other policy points.
Coun. Bob Hawkins (Ward 2) asked administration why the recommendations did not include sustainability as part of the TMP goals.
Onrait said the master plan will include equipment that will address sustainability. Further to that point, Coun. Barbara Young (Ward 1) said sustainability should be the lens through which the city approaches transit and growth in the city.
To hammer home that point, an amendment was added to the plan putting forth that sustainability, access and age friendly usage of transit be front and centre in the TMP. The amendment passed unanimously. Brad Bells, director of transit, said a bus rapid transit system could become part of the master plan.
This comes following increased ridership on city buses. According to Bells, over the past four years there has been an increase of one million rides.
In 2016 there were 6.4 million rides a year compared to 7.4 million in 2019. A large portion of that increase is related to Upass usage.
The city currently subsidizes 65 per cent of bus fares. Mayor Fougere urged council to act quickly on this, as capital for these projects come through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program between the province and the federal government.
“It’s important that we stake our claim that we need, and want, and expect to see provincial participation” said Fougere.
A transportation master plan was first approved by council in 2017 and since then a number of recommendations and reports have been filed on the matter. The transportation master plan is part of the city’s Official Community Plan which was first approved by council in 2013 with the intent of managing the city’s growth toward 300,000 residents.
Committee was also presented a preliminary look at the 2021 budget, which Hawkins described as a “sobering but realistic look at city finances.”
Barry Lacey, executive director of financial strategy and sustainability, said the city could see a 4.6-per-cent drop in city GDP this year. However, some predictions point to a 5.4-per-cent surge in GDP in 2021.
Lacey explained the budget is a moving target, and that right now the administration is not making any recommendations related to mill rate increases.
In terms of revenue and expenses, the city is facing a budget gap of approximately $8.5 million. That includes the mill rate increase for the stadium and recreation services, but does include any increases to the Regina Police Service or new initiatives.
City manager Chris Holden said as administration goes off to prepare the budget its “starting point is not a reduction in services.”
[email protected]
Publishing date: Jul 06, 2020
The city is on route to create a master plan looking at transit in Regina over the next 25 years.
During the Priorities and Planning committee meeting Monday, council voted unanimously in favour of earmarking $440,000 to develop a transit master plan (TMP).
Kim Onrait, executive director of citizen services, said the plan will be an all-encompassing look at transit that would help align the service with the existing Official Community Plan from 2013.
The plan will also look to enhance transit to the downtown core of the city, establishing where it makes the most sense to create a transit hub. Mayor Michael Fougere said amidst downtown offices switching to work-from-home models getting people downtown is massively important.
“It’s a critical element for the life blood of downtown, bringing people to and from downtown,” said Fougere.
The TMP will include long range financial planning for fleet, staffing and facilities.
The estimated cost to develop the plan starts with $100,000 this year from the citizen service operating budget with up to $340,000 in 2021 to further develop the TMP.
Some of the goals of the TMP are to increase ridership through short-term route improvements, to make long-term route plans taking into account how the city will grow, a total review of the paratransit service, review of fare collection and several other policy points.
Coun. Bob Hawkins (Ward 2) asked administration why the recommendations did not include sustainability as part of the TMP goals.
Onrait said the master plan will include equipment that will address sustainability. Further to that point, Coun. Barbara Young (Ward 1) said sustainability should be the lens through which the city approaches transit and growth in the city.
To hammer home that point, an amendment was added to the plan putting forth that sustainability, access and age friendly usage of transit be front and centre in the TMP. The amendment passed unanimously. Brad Bells, director of transit, said a bus rapid transit system could become part of the master plan.
This comes following increased ridership on city buses. According to Bells, over the past four years there has been an increase of one million rides.
In 2016 there were 6.4 million rides a year compared to 7.4 million in 2019. A large portion of that increase is related to Upass usage.
The city currently subsidizes 65 per cent of bus fares. Mayor Fougere urged council to act quickly on this, as capital for these projects come through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program between the province and the federal government.
“It’s important that we stake our claim that we need, and want, and expect to see provincial participation” said Fougere.
A transportation master plan was first approved by council in 2017 and since then a number of recommendations and reports have been filed on the matter. The transportation master plan is part of the city’s Official Community Plan which was first approved by council in 2013 with the intent of managing the city’s growth toward 300,000 residents.
Committee was also presented a preliminary look at the 2021 budget, which Hawkins described as a “sobering but realistic look at city finances.”
Barry Lacey, executive director of financial strategy and sustainability, said the city could see a 4.6-per-cent drop in city GDP this year. However, some predictions point to a 5.4-per-cent surge in GDP in 2021.
Lacey explained the budget is a moving target, and that right now the administration is not making any recommendations related to mill rate increases.
In terms of revenue and expenses, the city is facing a budget gap of approximately $8.5 million. That includes the mill rate increase for the stadium and recreation services, but does include any increases to the Regina Police Service or new initiatives.
City manager Chris Holden said as administration goes off to prepare the budget its “starting point is not a reduction in services.”
[email protected]
Regina Transit Resumes Transit Fares
Donovan Maess CTV News
Published Thursday, July 2, 2020 6:45PM CST
REGINA -- Regina Transit has resumed the collection of bus fares.
The cost was suspended on March 20 to ease the financial burden on those who required public transit over the last four months during COVID-19.
Acting Director of Transit Lynette Griffin said centres like Saskatoon and Edmonton resumed collection of fares weeks ago and Regina decided to follow suit.
“We are following what industry practices are across Canada and looking to what other transit properties are doing,” said Griffin. “Many transit properties across Canada are bring their fares back.”
Saskatoon brought its fare collection back on June 8 and Edmonton’s went back into effect on June 15.
Frequent rider Krista Shore said she is fine with the fares being reinstated but knows other people are not as ready to pay for fares again.
“I am really up in arms about that,” said Shore. “For some communities that have financial barriers, maybe it wasn’t the best to start so quickly given other societal things as in the jobs are still low.”
“I just feel for some people that might not have the money to catch the bus.”
City transit has also modified and removed certain restrictions implemented during the pandemic. Passengers are now allowed to enter the bus through the front and must exit through the rear doors. The city will continue to comply with the maximum of 15 passengers per bus at one time.
“We’ve instituted a barrier for the drivers to keep them and the passengers safe from direct contact,” said Griffin. “In addition we are disinfecting the buses everyday.”
Shore says she is comfortable with the practices the city has taken to ensure safety on public transit. She also respects the drivers for continuing to work through the pandemic.
“From a health care perspective, I respect the policies that are in place,” said Shore. “The bus drivers, I have a lot of respect for them … I’m all for it. I support their health and safety.”
Mask are not mandatory on transit, although it is encouraged. For up to date information about public transit and their COVID-19 guidelines, visit the City of Regina website.
Published Thursday, July 2, 2020 6:45PM CST
REGINA -- Regina Transit has resumed the collection of bus fares.
The cost was suspended on March 20 to ease the financial burden on those who required public transit over the last four months during COVID-19.
Acting Director of Transit Lynette Griffin said centres like Saskatoon and Edmonton resumed collection of fares weeks ago and Regina decided to follow suit.
“We are following what industry practices are across Canada and looking to what other transit properties are doing,” said Griffin. “Many transit properties across Canada are bring their fares back.”
Saskatoon brought its fare collection back on June 8 and Edmonton’s went back into effect on June 15.
Frequent rider Krista Shore said she is fine with the fares being reinstated but knows other people are not as ready to pay for fares again.
“I am really up in arms about that,” said Shore. “For some communities that have financial barriers, maybe it wasn’t the best to start so quickly given other societal things as in the jobs are still low.”
“I just feel for some people that might not have the money to catch the bus.”
City transit has also modified and removed certain restrictions implemented during the pandemic. Passengers are now allowed to enter the bus through the front and must exit through the rear doors. The city will continue to comply with the maximum of 15 passengers per bus at one time.
“We’ve instituted a barrier for the drivers to keep them and the passengers safe from direct contact,” said Griffin. “In addition we are disinfecting the buses everyday.”
Shore says she is comfortable with the practices the city has taken to ensure safety on public transit. She also respects the drivers for continuing to work through the pandemic.
“From a health care perspective, I respect the policies that are in place,” said Shore. “The bus drivers, I have a lot of respect for them … I’m all for it. I support their health and safety.”
Mask are not mandatory on transit, although it is encouraged. For up to date information about public transit and their COVID-19 guidelines, visit the City of Regina website.
"They're very, very scared": Transit union urges Regina residents to use service for essential trips only
Kevin Lucier, president of ATU Local 588, stands next to a bus outside the City of Regina transit operations centre on Winnipeg Street in Regina, Saskatchewan on April 21, 2020.
Photo by BRANDON HARDER /Regina Leader-Post
Photo by BRANDON HARDER /Regina Leader-Post
Jennifer Ackerman • Regina Leader-Post
Publishing date: Apr 21, 2020
The president of the union representing Regina’s bus drivers says members are scared, and they have a message for residents — don’t take the bus unless you absolutely have to.
“They’re putting their lives at risk,” said Kevin Lucier, president of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 588, noting as of April 9, 18 ATU members had died from COVID-19 in the U.S. “My operators see that and they’re very, very scared.”
As part of an essential service, transit workers remain on the front lines as the rest of the city is advised to stay and work from home if at all possible. For those that must leave their homes to get to work, while bus fares have been waived, they are adjusting to a new schedule since the city reduced weekly service to Saturday hours and a limit on how many people can board a bus due to social distancing requirements.
Most people have been very understanding, said Lucier, and respect social distancing practices by entering through the rear doors of the bus and keeping an appropriate distance between them and other passengers. He said the biggest problem they’ve run into with passengers are those people who have nowhere to go.
“We have people that are just riding around all day with no real destination in mind,” he said. “From March 23 to April 4 we needed 13 calls to RPS (Regina Police Service). That’s kind of what has been happening out there these days.”
The calls range from intoxicated riders to people sleeping on the bus, he added.
To minimize risk, the City of Regina has provided transit operators with masks, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. Lucier gave the city “props” for acting fairly quickly to get those in the hands of workers.
“It took a little bit to get them pushed and get moving, but once we were able to get the no fares happening, the city moved pretty quickly in providing what we needed out there,” he said.
He said they were also encouraged by a statement made at last week’s city council meeting by Kim Onrait, executive director of citizen services for the city. Prompted by a question from Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Stevens, Onrait said the city is in the process of costing out shields for transit operators for further protection against the virus.
Lucier said the shields would “drastically” boost the operators sense of safety while on the job and would be beneficial even when the pandemic subsides.
There is one other “outstanding issue” Lucier said the union hopes to resolve quickly, and that’s securing wheelchairs, which requires operators to get within inches of a passenger. The union suggested redirecting riders in wheelchairs or other mobility devices to the spare buses that have been stationed around the city. For the past month, spare buses have been used to pick up travellers who have been turned away from a regular bus because it was at capacity (about nine to 10 people due to social distancing), which they do within four to five minutes of getting a call said Lucier. The union recommended outfitting a spare bus operator with a Tyvek suit so they could secure those riders more safely, but Lucier said the idea was rejected because those residents would have to wait for the spare bus. He said the city is currently researching the possibility of having those users secure themselves.
“We have two securement stations on each bus — one requires physical contact and the other does not,” said a written statement from the city received Tuesday. “Through signage, we are encouraging passengers to use the station that does not.”
But Lucier says not every bus is set up with a securement station that requires no contact, and so hopes the city will move quickly on coming up with an alternative for those buses.
“Again, they come home at night, their families are at risk, they’re unable to go and visit their parents, their nieces, their nephews, their grandchildren,” said Lucier. “This is the impact that it’s having on these guys.”
Bus Drivers deserve bathroom breaks
Bus drivers leaving Regina Transit at high rate, with union citing time pressures and abuse
Published on: February 8, 2018 | Last Updated: February 8, 2018 5:39 PM CST
Regina Transit is dealing with high turnover among bus drivers, leaving the department “consistently understaffed” and driving up overtime costs.
City Hall revealed the problem in its budget proposal, released Feb. 1.
The proposal said that between 25 and 30 transit operators leave every year. It takes about two months to train their replacements, forcing the department to call on other drivers to pick up the slack.
Arnie Buehler, manager of transit operations and training, said the department’s annual turnover rate — about 15 per cent of the entire staff contingent — is not uncommon for transit services in Canada.
“It’s something that we’re trying to deal with,” he said. “Whenever someone would be leaving, we would be sitting down with them and going through some of the issues they faced.”
He said most drivers are simply retiring. In 2017, the department also had eight resignations. In previous years, they’ve had as many as 18 drivers quit.
Buehler said that most leave because they find other opportunities. But Kevin Lucier, president of the union representing the operators, suspects many just get fed up with the demands of a “tough job.”
“It’s a difficult position to deal with the public, the time schedule, the road conditions, the weather,” he said. “You’re essentially a one-man team out there.”
He said drivers often don’t have sufficient time to complete their routes. He called the schedules “very tight.”
“Any sort of disruption or delay out on the road is very difficult to pick up,” Lucier said. “At that point you start getting a little bit of pressure from the public because you’re late all the time — it leads to a lot of pressure.”
Sometimes that pressure escalates to verbal or physical abuse.
“That is something that we deal with literally on a weekly basis, if not daily,” he said. “Everybody has a limit.”
Buehler said that’s news to him. He knows that altercations happen, but doubts it’s as frequent as Lucier claims.
“In any industry you’re going to have some unsatisfied customers, but I would say we don’t have that many,” he said.
He said the transit department takes safety seriously. They’ve installed cameras, provide nationally certified training and have an officer on call to deal with testy situations. He’s confident that drivers have the tools they need to de-escalate conflict.
Still, he agrees with Lucier that driving a bus can be “stressful.” Lucier said the staffing pressures got particularly bad at the end of 2017. He was pleased to see a wave of new hires in the new year, but many of those drivers are still in training; they aren’t yet able to drive a bus on their own.
He said he knows of operators who work up to 120 hours in a two-week period.
The union is calling for measures to help protect drivers from abuse. They’ve suggested installing plastic shields to protect drivers from violence, according to Lucier.
He said the city has not been receptive to the idea.
Buehler explained that shields have not proven effective in other cities where they’ve been tried. He argued that buses are safer when drivers can build relationships with passengers. Shields, he said, can get in the way.
“How they actually deal and interact when you put barriers in place is almost counterproductive to what they’re trying to do,” he said.
He said Regina Transit has “come a long way” in engaging its drivers, handing out surveys and sounding them out on training and equipment. But he admits it’s a matter of “perception,” and the union might feel differently.
In Lucier’s view, the city doesn’t understand the predicament drivers face out there on the streets.
“I would maybe suggest a little more compassion amongst the management team toward the members,” he said. “I know some of our members do feel sort of alone out there on the road, so a little more support there could possibly go a long way.”
[email protected]
twitter.com/arthurwhiteLP
Regina Transit is dealing with high turnover among bus drivers, leaving the department “consistently understaffed” and driving up overtime costs.
City Hall revealed the problem in its budget proposal, released Feb. 1.
The proposal said that between 25 and 30 transit operators leave every year. It takes about two months to train their replacements, forcing the department to call on other drivers to pick up the slack.
Arnie Buehler, manager of transit operations and training, said the department’s annual turnover rate — about 15 per cent of the entire staff contingent — is not uncommon for transit services in Canada.
“It’s something that we’re trying to deal with,” he said. “Whenever someone would be leaving, we would be sitting down with them and going through some of the issues they faced.”
He said most drivers are simply retiring. In 2017, the department also had eight resignations. In previous years, they’ve had as many as 18 drivers quit.
Buehler said that most leave because they find other opportunities. But Kevin Lucier, president of the union representing the operators, suspects many just get fed up with the demands of a “tough job.”
“It’s a difficult position to deal with the public, the time schedule, the road conditions, the weather,” he said. “You’re essentially a one-man team out there.”
He said drivers often don’t have sufficient time to complete their routes. He called the schedules “very tight.”
“Any sort of disruption or delay out on the road is very difficult to pick up,” Lucier said. “At that point you start getting a little bit of pressure from the public because you’re late all the time — it leads to a lot of pressure.”
Sometimes that pressure escalates to verbal or physical abuse.
“That is something that we deal with literally on a weekly basis, if not daily,” he said. “Everybody has a limit.”
Buehler said that’s news to him. He knows that altercations happen, but doubts it’s as frequent as Lucier claims.
“In any industry you’re going to have some unsatisfied customers, but I would say we don’t have that many,” he said.
He said the transit department takes safety seriously. They’ve installed cameras, provide nationally certified training and have an officer on call to deal with testy situations. He’s confident that drivers have the tools they need to de-escalate conflict.
Still, he agrees with Lucier that driving a bus can be “stressful.” Lucier said the staffing pressures got particularly bad at the end of 2017. He was pleased to see a wave of new hires in the new year, but many of those drivers are still in training; they aren’t yet able to drive a bus on their own.
He said he knows of operators who work up to 120 hours in a two-week period.
The union is calling for measures to help protect drivers from abuse. They’ve suggested installing plastic shields to protect drivers from violence, according to Lucier.
He said the city has not been receptive to the idea.
Buehler explained that shields have not proven effective in other cities where they’ve been tried. He argued that buses are safer when drivers can build relationships with passengers. Shields, he said, can get in the way.
“How they actually deal and interact when you put barriers in place is almost counterproductive to what they’re trying to do,” he said.
He said Regina Transit has “come a long way” in engaging its drivers, handing out surveys and sounding them out on training and equipment. But he admits it’s a matter of “perception,” and the union might feel differently.
In Lucier’s view, the city doesn’t understand the predicament drivers face out there on the streets.
“I would maybe suggest a little more compassion amongst the management team toward the members,” he said. “I know some of our members do feel sort of alone out there on the road, so a little more support there could possibly go a long way.”
[email protected]
twitter.com/arthurwhiteLP
Bus Accessibility Transit Improvement Projects
Under shared funding with the federal government, the City is spending $17.2 million to expand and enhance our transit system and to make it more inclusive and accessible to all residents.
Both the City and the federal government are each contributing $8.6 million under the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund. It’s a $3.4 billion fund made available by the federal government to support municipal transit systems across Canada.
Of the $17.2 million the City is spending, $14.3 will be spent in 2017. The remaining $2.9 million will be spent in 2018.
With our transit improvements made in 2017, we better serve residents who want to take the bus now and in the future. We now have more new and reliable buses on our streets. Our transit system is also more accessible for people with low vision who can now confidently use our bus system and independently make decisions about the buses they wish to take. We’ve also installed new modern and larger bus shelters, which are benefit to everyone including people with mobility devices who can use them with more ease than our older shelters. We’ve added innovative Quantum securement technology on some of our conventional buses as well so people with mobility devices can easily and safely use the bus.
This table outlines our transit improvement projects.
Under shared funding with the federal government, the City is spending $17.2 million to expand and enhance our transit system and to make it more inclusive and accessible to all residents.
Both the City and the federal government are each contributing $8.6 million under the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund. It’s a $3.4 billion fund made available by the federal government to support municipal transit systems across Canada.
Of the $17.2 million the City is spending, $14.3 will be spent in 2017. The remaining $2.9 million will be spent in 2018.
With our transit improvements made in 2017, we better serve residents who want to take the bus now and in the future. We now have more new and reliable buses on our streets. Our transit system is also more accessible for people with low vision who can now confidently use our bus system and independently make decisions about the buses they wish to take. We’ve also installed new modern and larger bus shelters, which are benefit to everyone including people with mobility devices who can use them with more ease than our older shelters. We’ve added innovative Quantum securement technology on some of our conventional buses as well so people with mobility devices can easily and safely use the bus.
This table outlines our transit improvement projects.
We also have plans in 2018 to improve our system for people with low hearing.
Victory for ATU Operators
| Senate Signed Bill S-221 - An Act to Amend the Criminal Code |
| Bill to Protect Bus and Taxi Drivers Clears Senate - Sept 24, 2014 |
| Bill S-221 to Protect Transit Operators Soon to become Law - Feb 16, 2015 |
| Bill S-221 Passes Senate for protecting ATU Operators agains assaults - Feb 25, 2015 |
Senator Runciman, sponsor of Bill S-221 in the Senate speaks at press conference on how the bill will improve consistency in sentencing for offenders who assault public transit operators, and discourage would-be assailants.
The Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) commends Parliament on passing legislation to protect transit operators from attacks. Bill S-221, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (assaults on public transit operators). The bill makes assaults on public transit operators an aggravated circumstance in sentencing.
Civic Pension Updates
For all current information and future updates regarding the Civic Pension Plan, please visit Regina Civic Pension Plan | Honour Our Deal
Download the Regina Civic Pension Flyer
Saskatchewan Federation of Labour Conference - 2014
The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour will held its annual convention October 29th – November 1st, 2014 in Regina.
Many unions, including ATU Local 588 converged on the Saskatchewan Legislature for a Defending Workers Rights rally.
Regina Transit was happy to supply 7 charter buses to transport union members.
MP Ralph goodale visits Local ATU588 to speak on his bill c-533
On July 24th, we were extremely honored and happy that Mr. Goodale made the time to speak and visit Local ATU588 to discuss his introduction of Private Members' Bill C-533 which will help protect any person who serves the public against any sort of assult.
Local 588 is proud to stand behind Mr. Goodale and Bill C-533, we hope our members and everyone alike will do the same.
For more information on this bill, please take the time to click the links below and read Ralph Goodale's blogs as well as view his speech introducing the Private Members' Bill.
Please click to read Mr. Goodale's blog on Bus driver assaults targeted in new legislation
Also, please read Ralph's support for standing up for those who serve the public
MP Ralph Goodale introducing Bill C-533 to the speaker of the house
MP Ralph Goodale visits Local ATU588 Regina