Metrobus Transit Study.pdf - City of St. John's

St. John’s Transportation Commission (Metrobus) 2011
Market Assessment and Strategic Directions Study – Part C: Assessment of Market Opportunities
buildings and City Hall. Shortage of parking is seen as a major issue in the downtown and Metrobus
is considered a potential solution.
Memorial University and its immediate surroundings (Health Services Centre and Confederation
Building) is another large concentration of employment within St. John’s, with approximately 10,000
employees. Parking is free at the Confederation Building and Health Sciences Complex. At
Memorial University, parking is relatively inexpensive, however, supply is limited.
Secondary concentrations of employment include O’Leary Industrial Park (major industrial
employers) and Avalon Mall.
The Downtown, Memorial University area, and Avalon Mall are well served by transit, however only
Routes 10 and 16 penetrate into the O’Leary Business Park. Route 10 provides service 7 days a week
within core Metrobus hours concentrated on morning and afternoon weekday peak times. Route 16
provides service only on weekdays and only until the early evening. A problem with this type of
service is that industrial area employers often operate on shift schedules which may start/end
outside of core Metrobus hours.
The primary commercial areas in St. John’s outside of the Downtown are Avalon Mall, Village
Shopping Centre, and the power centres in the north end off Torbay Road (Stavanger Drive area).
Avalon Mall is the major regional mall in the area with 9 routes converging at an on-site terminal.
The Village Shopping Centre is well serviced by transit, with 11 routes converging at an on-site
terminal. The Mall houses a number of national retailers plus Convergys Call Centre (150/200
staff), Good Life Fitness, the St John’s Telegram and an office of Desjardins Financial services.
Based on discussions with the Village Mall Property Manager, there are approximately 500
employees at the mall, of which about 20 percent use transit.
The power centres in the Stavanger Drive area are only accessed by Route 3 and 23 and the autooriented
design of the centres makes them difficult to service with transit. Route 3 provides good
coverage and direct connection to the Downtown and Village Shopping Centre. Route 23 connects
to Memorial University and Avalon Mall but does not provide service on Sundays or late evening
service on Saturdays. The Power Centre in the Kelsey Drive area is serviced by Routes 10 and 16.
7.5 Industrial Market
There are three industrial parks in St. John’s and Mount Pearl that are served with base and local
routes. Industrial areas are traditionally difficult to service by fixed route transit. This is due to low
densities, staggered shift times, and auto-oriented development. Specialized service strategies may
be warranted in industrial areas to maximize performance and increase the level of service for users.
Existing service to industrial parks within the Metrobus service area is detailed below.
O’Leary Industrial Park
The O’Leary Industrial Park is located to the west of Avalon Mall (where 9 routes converge). Route
10 provides service through the industrial park with connection to Avalon Mall, Memorial
University, and Downtown. Service is provided between 6:10am and 12:15am, Monday to Friday;
6:50am and 12:20am, Saturday; and 8:20am and 8:40pm Sundays at frequencies ranging from 30
minutes (weekdays only) to 60 minutes. Transfers to most places in the service area can be made at
Avalon Mall.
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