Changes to the Tecumseh Transit Service fixed route.
At their council meeting this week, councillors in Tecumseh were given a report outlining some minor route revisions which were approved.
Back in May, council had approved changes to the TTS fixed route that took effect on June 1, which involved the removal, modification and addition of various bus stops.
After the adoption of the updated route, officials say the service still faces recurrent and substantial delays often leading to it falling 30 minutes behind schedule.
Administration recommended that six bus stops be eliminated from the Monday-Friday fixed-route service: from Sobey's Plaza, Brighton Loop and Tecumseh Towne Centre Plaza due to low ridership.
Sobeys Plaza was the only stop identified as being used by riders on a daily basis, so a new stop on Manning Road just north of Amy Croft will facilitate continued access within a five-minute walk.
Mayor Gary McNamara says when they made the changes in the spring they wanted to see how it worked out.
He says the one loop system they have, from the starting point to the end point lasts about an hour, so they looked at areas where they could improve.
"We determined that if we go to those routes instead of every hour, reduce that to maybe four times during the route, it would improve the time in particular during the busiest traffic during the day," McNamara added.
It was also noted in the report that those bus stops will remain as destination options for riders on the Saturday On-Demand service.
In addition, access to the Sobey’s plaza and Tecumseh Town Centre Plaza are available by alternative bus stops that are within a short walk.
McNamara says it's not eliminating any of the service within those areas, just reducing the amount of stops during the week so they can complete the loop in a more efficient manner.
"They're going to report back us probably in about three to four months from now just to see how it's managing. Because as you loop into areas in the mall and other areas it does take a bit of extra time, and then it's a matter of dealing with the ongoing construction throughout the route itself."
Construction is expected to be a major factor for the next few years, and that's something that adds to the issue of timing.
McNamara says they're always trying to improve transit, and they're not going to be stagnant when it comes to recommended changes.
"We pay attention to the ridership, and also we work hand in glove with our drivers as well to try and get their advice. Because they're there, they're travelling through that route hour-to-hour and they know when the biggest impact hits us. So we're tweaking things to try to make it even better," he said.
The changes to the fixed route bus schedule during the week will take effect as of November 1.
- with files from AM800's Rob Hindi