Civic politicians got an eyeful this week as they rode Edmonton-area trains and buses, relying on the transit system exclusively to get them around.
The aim for the Transit Riders’ Union of Edmonton’s second annual Transit Challenge Week was for participating politicians to gain greater insight into the strengths and weaknesses of Edmonton’s transit system.
Politicians participating included city councillors Linda Sloan, Ben Henderson, Don Iveson, Amarjeet Sohi and Dave Thiele, as well as St. Albert MLA Ken Allred.
Edmonton Transit System administration said 60 of its staff signed up to take the challenge.
Participants had varying reasons for taking the challenge; Sloan said she took the challenge “because our transit system is under-utilized,” while Sohi said one reason he took it was to better understand the challenges that riders go through every day and because, “as a political leader, it is my responsibility to lead by example.”
Almost all the councillors commented on how pleasant it is to be able to get work done on the bus, whether reading or e-mailing from their BlackBerrys. Other benefits mentioned: Getting to interact with people and the low cost of taking transit. And while most councillors admitted they disliked waiting in the cold and that taking the bus took a little longer than driving, they all seemed to feel that the benefits of transit outweighed the inconveniences.
What could improve about the system? Sohi and Thiele both had concerns about overcrowding on routes and improving off-peak (evening, night and weekend) service. Henderson and Sloan both expressed concerns around routes and scheduling, while Iveson said that “city council has lots of work to do to make sure that transit keeps up with demand.”
What were the highlights? Both Henderson and Sloan were surprised by the sheer volume of passengers, even in off-peak hours, while Thiele was most impressed with the courtesy of passengers on the bus, who frequently gave up their seats to elderly passengers or thanked the bus driver as they disembarked.
For Sohi, one highlight was being able to keep track of things like passenger volumes and travel times, which he can later share with his fellow councillors.
This year’s challenge wraps up with a public forum today from noon to 1 p.m. at the CBC Stage in Edmonton City Centre East (#123, 10062-102 Ave).
