New statistics suggest there’s a greener outlook for Roam ridership within the Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commissions (BVRTSC).
Usage skyrocketed on the Roam regional service between Banff and Canmore this summer and BVRTSC plans to continue the hot trend with the addition of modern mobile services, social media awareness and rethinking the exterior design of the buses.
Ridership soared in June by nearly 115 per cent compared to last year’s flood-hindered June, and increased by 85 per cent for July 2014.
The sister system in Banff also saw its numbers rise, as Roam public transit outdid last year’s usage by over 10 per cent in June, and nine per cent in July.
Steve Nelson, manager of operations at BVRTSC, said part of the increased ridership can be accredited to stronger marketing of Roam, and the intention is to continue the push with the recent launch of its mobile-friendly site.
“Roam transit, if you ever came by it (before) on your smartphone or tablet, was awkward to say the least as far as finding information,” Nelson said. “So we recently rolled out a fully mobile compliance (so passengers can) get their scheduling information quicker.
“We’re finding that over 54 per cent of our visitors are using mobile devices, which makes sense because people are probably at the bus stop trying to find information about arrival times and that sort of thing.”
Nelson said another statistic that’s “good to see” is a huge increase in bicycle usage on the regional service. “We track all the times people load their bikes on the bike racks or bring them on board,” he said.
From May to July, approximately 1,563 passengers loaded bikes on the bus rack opposed to 374 during the same three months last year.
With eight buses in its fleet, two being dedicated to regional transit services, Roam has plans to rewrap the buses shortly so passengers can have better visuals of the picturesque landscape and wildlife.
“Right now it’s hard to see outside (the bus windows because of the current mural wrap) and this is Banff. This is the Bow Valley. It’s beautiful, (and) you want to be able to see outside,” said Tara Kabatoff, a partner/creative solutions for Fourage – a company brought in to help the modern marketing of Roam.
Banffite Beada Kosciolek said she wouldn’t change anything about the transit, but suggested some services could run earlier to benefit early morning passengers.
As part of a survey to better understand the needs of passengers and to give back to the community, a Cookie Contest was held last week, where oncoming passengers choose elk and wolf-shaped cookies at random. A lucky rider won 10 free rides on Roam after grabbing the winning bear-shaped cookie.
Adult fare for the Banff local service is $2, and $6 for regional. A full listing of local and regional transit maps and schedules can be found at www.roamtransit.com.
