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Winnipeg mayor Brian Bowman says the city’s transit system needs an overhaul.

Bowman told 680 CJOB Wednesday morning that a transit operational review – expected to be complete next year – is looking at the city’s needs from a fresh perspective, rather than focusing on tweaking longtime systems.

Mayor Brian Bowman said the city will be focused on transit improvements in 2019. Global News File

“Imagine there was no transit service and we looked at the state of the city now, not in the 1970s or 1960,” he said. “Where are people living? Where’s the demand?

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“We’re going to really have to make tough decisions to really improve transit. It hasn’t had a full review like this in a generation. Tweet This

“I’m in Charleswood. I’ve been riding the 66 my whole life, and the routes haven’t really changed much. It’s the transit service of your grandma or grandpa.”

Bowman said city council has to be willing to take on political risk to shake things up for the better, and that although he’s calling 2019 ‘the year of transit’, council needs to be looking beyond just the current term of office.

He said the city has so far worked with the Transit Advisory Committee on implementing recommendations, but that there’s a lot more to be done.

The operational review will look at better aligning investments in rapid transit, regular transit, further electrification of Winnipeg Transit’s fleet, improved safety, and a look at high-frequency networks.

“The importance of transit is only going to grow as the city grows,” said Bowman.

City councillor Matt Allard has advocated for free transit for kids under 12. Matt Allard / Facebook

Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) said Wednesday afternoon that he’s happy to hear the mayor’s message on transit.

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“It’s music to my ears, as a recent convert to riding the bus on a personal level,” said Allard, a member of the Transit Advisory Committee.

“Every option is on the table. As a solution to move a million people by 2035, I think transit is a key part of the solution. We don’t have freeways, and our roads are generally not getting bigger.

“If we don’t want to be stuck in traffic all day, some people will have to ride the bus, otherwise our roads will be jam-packed.” Tweet This

Allard told 680 CJOB that most obvious solution to improve the transit experience is also the most cost-prohibitive – adding more buses to the Winnipeg Transit fleet.

“It’s the most expensive solution, and of course we’re trying to do more with less in the city of Winnipeg,” he said.

Allard said the city will be buying new buses, many of which are articulated, so they’ll offer more passenger capacity for around the same overall operating cost.

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