BOW VALLEY – Public transit riders could see a shift in some popular routes this summer in an effort to mitigate concerns of overloaded buses.
Roam transit is reviewing its routes after a record-setting ridership in 2023 also led to significantly high overloads last summer.
Though the transit service saw an increase from 1.65 million passengers in 2022 to a record 2.5 million riders last year, Roam had more than 1,300 overloads between June and September, meaning passengers were unable to board fully loaded buses.
“We’re being proactive in looking at any options to help with capacity and frequency,” said Martin Bean, Roam’s longtime CEO.
He noted they’re in preliminary planning stages, but a report to the Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission at its January meeting showed potential options to mitigate additional overloads.
The planning is also taking into account there’ll be no new buses for 2024 – with the next one set to come in 2025 – and ongoing supply chain issues for parts.
Bean said a key aspect will be messaging to riders and having a continued presence for Roam’s ambassadors to help customers.
He noted people with reservations getting there 15 minutes prior to a bus leaving – particularly with standby passengers able to take unused spots – queuing in the proper line and knowing when routes are busy and non-busy times can have a big impact.
“It’s more intuitive for people to know whether they’ll get on the next bus or not based on how many are already in line,” he said. “We had times in the summer where it’s a bit confusing because people were lined up somewhere and some had reservations, some didn’t have reservations and they often ended up in the same line, so that created misunderstandings on people’s part. With increased ambassadors and better communication, it’ll help with the flow.”
More than half of 1,300 overloads place on route 1 to Sulphur Mountain gondola, with Route 2 to Tunnel Mountain campground and Lake Louise’s 8x also hampered by overloads.
Bean said Roam is continuing to have talks with partners such as Pursuit to help with both communication and increased access to shuttles “to help reduce the demand in both going up to and leaving the gondola.”
The January Roam staff report noted the transit service expects an increase in ridership in 2024, but isn’t expecting new buses for the summer season. A Proterra electric bus was supposed to come online this year for the new Grassi Lakes route in Canmore, but the company’s ongoing bankruptcy proceedings have meant delivery is unknown and not likely for the summer.
“With this large and sudden increase in ridership, Roam experienced some summer service challenges with carrying capacity and overloaded buses at key locations during specific times of day,” according to the report.
Roam staff outlined four options of route modification, ambassador and partner cooperation, service hours re-allocation and charter or contracted service.
Banff’s routes 1 and 2 could be split into smaller service lengths that are believed to increase pickups to decrease overloads.
Route 1 has four buses for seven days of service, with a modification possibly seeing two or three distinct patterns to reduce travel distance and make more trips to the gondola. Three of the buses would go between the Elk Street transit hub to the gondola, while the fourth bus would travel between the Banff High School transit hub to the far end of Banff Avenue as well as the industrial compound at peak times.
At peak morning times, two buses would go to the industrial compound. The report, however, highlighted it would lead to fewer buses going to the far end of Banff Ave, but that route 3 between Banff and Canmore could provide more northbound departure options.
The report noted Roam staff has met with Pursuit to look at dedicated Pursuit shuttles and transit ambassadors from Roam to help with people going to the Rimrock Hotel. It highlighted Pursuit has set aside funding to help with bus stop infrastructure and signage as well as a “more continuous shuttle service between the south side of the river and the gondola.”
Route 2 has three buses at peak times and has a 15-kilometre roundtrip, going from Banff Springs hotel to Tunnel Mountain campground. A change could see one of the three buses become an express service from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and at 3-7 p.m. It would leave Banff Community High School transit hub to the campgrounds and return to the high school hub via Beaver Street.
The other two would travel the full length of the route, while an option could have Bow Falls removed from its summer service and potentially switch it to route 4.
No modifications are recommended for Lake Louise 8x, but contracted services will be looked at since most challenges were communication of service and conditions of service, stated the report. There would be increased communication to let people know reservations need to have them arrive 15 minutes before leaving.
Roam staff also met with Parks Canada staff in January to look at potential improvements and possible reduction of some services on route 4 (Cave and Basin) to reallocate them to routes 1, 2 and 8x.
The changes, if made, are expected to have little if any budget impact.
Bean said summer service starts May long weekend, so any changes would have to be set about a month before, noting reservations begin at the beginning of May.
“We’re looking at all options and with the supply chain challenges and Proterra’s bankruptcy. We’re working through fleet shortages and figuring out how to work through that.”
