Usage at Transit Windsor was up across the board in 2023, and while officials say that's a great thing to see it also brings with it some logistical challenges.
Last year's performance update report for Transit Windsor was discussed at Wednesday's Environment, Transportation & Public Safety Standing Committee Meeting.
Total ridership for 2023 was just under 9.5 million, compared to just under 5.3 million in 2022, representing an increase of 80%.
Compared to prepandemic ridership in 2019, 2023 ridership shows an increase of 13% which administration says his is consistent with growth that other peer agencies have experienced, as most transit systems in Canada are facing similar challenges with ridership.
Administration officials acknowledged that more people are riding the bus now in Windsor than in the history of the city.
The report also showed that two-thirds of Windsor's primary and secondary transit routes exceed the threshold for overcrowding.
Boardings per service hour should target 35, according to the report, and any number above that is considered to be overloaded.
In 2023, all three of Transit Windsor's primary routes - the Transway 1A (54), Transway 1C (45) and Crosstown 2 (48.2) - were above that threshold.
During the discussion on Wednesday, officials and committee members all communicated they believe this is a good problem to have, and one that Transit Windsor and administration are actively working towards dealing with.
In terms of fleet, the service current has 119 buses and acting city engineer Mark Winterton says 19 new buses have been ordered and are expected to arrive in 2025.
They're also at full staffing levels for the service.
Transit Windsor is undergoing some growing pains related to the surge in demand for service after years of relatively stable ridership levels, and through the Transit Master Plan they've had continuous improvement initiatives in place to enhance the service.
That includes consistent operating investments from council, as well as major capital investments from all three levels of government, totalling over $100 million that officials believe will address issues related to fleet age, maintenance, and service reliability.
Winterton says the challenges they have are a function of the growth in the community and a subsequent increase in transit usage mostly driven by students.
"Which is a good problem, but one we weren't necessarily equipped to handle on a short term basis given that buses take over a year to order. That buses have basically doubled in price which has had an impact on budget and our ability to procure the necessary increases in fleet," he said.
Beyond students and seniors, Winterton says the report shows that more and more residents are viewing transit as a viable transportation option to get around.
He says they're guided by the Transit Master Plan which shows the progress that's been made and the opportunities that are ahead.
"Council has endorsed it and bought into it, very much so, and with senior level funding as well we've been able to implement large elements of our master plan. Including things like new routes, new facilities, modernization of our fleet, a lot of things that help to make transit a viable option for the community."
Winterton says the city has their priorities right with respect to transit moving forward, and coupled with financial support from the upper levels, believes things are headed in the right direction.
"In my time at the city I've never seen the level of commitment from both the city and senior levels of government for transit. There's a substantial buy in from all levels of government to support transit, and recognize it as a transportation option in Windsor in particular but also throughout Canada," he said.
Winterton says Transit Administration will continue to work diligently towards implementing the remaining phases of the Transit Master Plan and will provide updates to council.