WATERLOO REGION - Ion trains recorded 515,000 boardings in September, and overall the public transit system saw a 13-per-cent spike in boardings compared to the same month last year.

The first three months of Waterloo Region's new light rail system combined with a major revamp of bus routes to better align with the Ion line and an increase in service are "very, very positive," said Coun. Tom Galloway, chair of the region's planning and works committee.

Ion boarding numbers to the end of September were the highlight of a report updating council on light rail service released Tuesday afternoon. It shows the launch of the region's new flagship attracted riders.

"The numbers speak for themselves," Galloway said. "They saw transit as a viable alternative for transportation."

Ion service started June 21. The new light rail system kicked off with 11 days of free rides across the Grand River Transit network to Canada Day. Tuesday's report was the first update since mid-July after the first week of paid fares.

The entire public transit system recorded 2.86 million boardings in September. In the central transit corridor, which now includes Ion, boardings were 804,000, an increase of 33 per cent compared to September 2018.

Rider numbers were reported previously by converting boardings to ridership, but the region is still working on a new conversion factor that takes into account recent network changes. Each trip can have more than one boarding, and perhaps more than previously was the case as reconfigured bus routes are generally moving people to Ion stations.

"These numbers certainly demonstrate quite an increase in riders," Galloway said.

The region didn't make ridership projections, but Galloway said the early trend is positive and boarding numbers will continue to rise as people start moving into the new buildings going up in the city cores along the Ion line.

"We'll see these numbers rise as each development goes forward," Galloway said.

Work still remains to be done on the system, the Ion trains themselves, and the electronic fare management system.

"It's gone quite well in terms of the actual operations," Galloway said. "We've not had major problems."

While the vehicles arrived late from manufacturer Bombardier, they are reliable, he said.

Modifications and upgrades are needed on each vehicle, and it's expected the majority of that will be complete by the end of the year. That keeps two out of the 14 vehicles with Bombardier, and the rest in service and for maintenance.

Galloway said the region can decide when that work is done whether train frequency will increase from every 10 minutes to ever eight minutes. But he noted that platforms are being cleared now.

"We're not leaving anybody behind," Galloway said. "We'll make that decision as soon as we know we have the vehicles available to do that."

The system itself still needs some tweaking, such as the timing of traffic signals and gates, for better traffic flow. Galloway said the region took possession of the system a couple days before service launch knowing work still needed to be done, but it was ready enough to start service.

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Electronic fare devices, including fare boxes, platform validators and fare vending machines, have also caused some problems and frustration for riders. Those have improved but there are still bugs, which the vendor is responsible for fixing.

Transit revenues were trending above budgeted levels by the end of August, due in part to increased ridership from Ion trains and buses, service expansion to Conestoga College and increases in universal pass revenues from the universities.

The extra revenue is projected to reach $1.2 million by the end of the year.

Galloway expects that climate action will be a boon for transit ridership as people drive less and instead opt for active or public transportation.

"I think people are going to be doing more of that," he said.

The report didn't break down how many of the boardings were generated by Galloway, a frequent Ion user who often combines his transit trips with bicycle travel.

"It's really quite convenient," he said. "And it's good for you."

jweidner@therecord.com

Twitter: @WeidnerRecord