Edmonton transit ridership up 14% in 2024

From January to September 2024, Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) ridership has grown by 14 per cent compared to 2023, which the metropolis said continues 1 of the strongest post-pandemic ridership recoveries successful the country.

On Tuesday, the metropolis said ETS is connected way to grounds astir 60 cardinal riders successful 2024 — up from 53 cardinal successful 2023.

“It’s not astonishing if you’re idiosyncratic who takes nationalist transit — if you thrust the bus, if you thrust the train,” said metropolis councillor Michael Janz. “Whether it’s the outrageous costs of automobile insurance, outgo of state oregon conscionable convenience, much and much radical are choosing nationalist transit.”

The opening of the 13-kilometre Valley Line southeast from Mill Woods to downtown past autumn contributed to the increase.

In the archetypal six months of the enactment being open, it saw 85,000 further monthly riders. Overall, the metropolis said astir 2 cardinal trips person been taken connected that LRT enactment betwixt erstwhile it opened successful November 2023 and this past August.

The metropolis said 120,000 work hours were added to the transit web successful 2023 and portion specified investments assistance easiness the unit connected transit service, the spread betwixt existent work levels and the transit work standards continues to grow arsenic the city’s colonisation and neighbourhoods grow.

ETS launched its existent autobus web successful April 2021 and the metropolis said year-over-year monthly ridership has accrued for 42 consecutive months.

Last month, the metropolis said monthly ridership exceeded six cardinal for the archetypal time, successful portion owed to students heading backmost to schoolhouse and different riders returning to autumn routines.

“We’re seeing a betterment that’s, I think, moving really, truly good — particularly connected highest routes and that’s a recognition to our autobus web redesign,” Janz said.

Overall, ridership has exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 12 per cent since the opening of the year, the metropolis said.

“We’ve been investing successful the transit web and are arrogant to present equitable, accessible and convenient work that volition proceed to conscionable the needs of riders,” said Edmonton Transit Service subdivision manager Carrie Hotton-MacDonald.

“We’re moving to marque it easier for radical to take transit, and are excited to spot this affirmative response. We’re thankful for our riders and the maturation we’ve been experiencing.”

The metropolis said Edmonton is 1 of 5 cities successful Canada with a high-frequency transit grid, meaning it provides transit successful the halfway astatine slightest each 15 minutes astir times of day, 7 days a week.

ETS has 120 regular autobus routes, 50 schoolhouse routes, 3 LRT lines (the Valley, Capital and Metro lines) an on-demand transit work and DATS.

Janz said much maturation is needed successful areas wherever radical don’t instrumentality the autobus oregon bid due to the fact that utilizing their ain conveyance is quicker and is little hassle.

“If we marque transit the convenient choice, that means much work hours, much investment: support gathering the trains, support gathering the buses, support adding the autobus accelerated transit. If we bash that, we’re going to proceed to spot tremendous maturation successful transit.”

The metropolis said ETS continually analyzes information to guarantee the strategy is businesslike and effective. This includes making work adjustments 5 times each year, based connected transit data, rider feedback, seasonal changes and ridership growth.