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
9.0 EXTERNAL TRENDS
A number of national and local trends which may influence future transit use are identified here as
both potential opportunities and challenges for Metrobus.
9.1 Opportunities
9.1.1 Ridership and Transit Investment are Growing
In many parts of the country, public transit is in a stronger position today that it has been since the
1950’s. Ridership is growing, with a record ridership across Canada in 2007 of 1.76 billion trips
which was a 3.1 percent increase over 2006 (CUTA Transit Vision 2040). The environmental
benefits of transit are widely recognized, and transit capital investment by federal and many
provincial governments has surged over the past five years. The provincial investment represents a
recovery from diminished funding in the 1990s, while federal funding for transit projects is a new
phenomenon, increasing from zero in 2001 to $240 million in 2005, and over $600 million in 2007
(CUTA Transit Vision 2040). Funding is particularly significant in Ontario, where the provincial
government provides 3 cents a litre from the gas tax to public transit systems. This funding is for
both operating and capital costs and is designed to support ridership growth. Therefore, provincial
funding is considered an addition to (not a replacement of) municipal contributions. This type of
funding has gone a long way to support ridership growth in Ontario.
In Newfoundland Labrador, the province currently does not provide funding for public transit. This
reduces the ability for transit ridership growth through improvements in service. Several policies
and programs of the province are related to environmental sustainability but the role that transit can
play in achieving this is not fully appreciated and this has not translated to a financial contribution
toward improved transit operations.
The federal government is directing some gas tax revenues towards infrastructure through a federalprovincial
agreement. However, none of this funding was provided to Metrobus to support system
expansion/maintenance. Metrobus did receive money through the federal Public Transit Capital
Trust and has used this money to invest in their new transit garage.
9.1.2 Advanced Technologies
Transit has been benefiting from advances in information and communications technologies,
particularly in the areas of customer information, fare systems, and service control. Access to the
internet has enabled personalized trip planning to be offered, increasing customer convenience and
reducing operating costs. Access to real-time information through mobile devices has also made the
use of transit more convenient (CUTA Transit Vision 2040).
Metrobus is a transit leader in the adoption of new technologies with features such as the M-Card
and a very advanced web site. Metrobus recently implemented an online trip planner and also
provides real-time updates via its website and mobile notifications for users. It is important to note
that while technology improvements are important to enhance the users’ experience, it does not
replace the desirable service level improvements (i.e. speed, frequency, hours of service) as the key
factors in ridership growth.
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