Two years after Winnipeg Transit announced a $142-million service upgrade, several of the planned improvements are behind schedule or incomplete.
Airport-style signs that display "next bus" information in real time have not been built. A new fare-collection system that automatically counts money is still being planned. Diesel-electric hybrid buses are still being evaluated, orders for new conventional buses have not been filled and money squirreled away to create more diamond lanes, bus shelters and transit hubs still sits in city bank accounts.
Some of the transit-priority signals set up to allow buses to jump queues at intersections have been disabled because they don't work properly. A park-and-ride strategy remains in limbo.
All of this is embarrassing politicians who originally held up the six-year plan as proof of Winnipeg's commitment to public transit.
"There is no excuse for this," said Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz.
"Some of this stuff is beyond Transit's control, but I'm not accepting the reasons for some of this taking as long as it does. I'm not buying into it."
In 2004, the mayor was portrayed as an enemy of public transit after he cancelled plans for a dedicated bus corridor alongside Pembina Highway. In response, Katz asked Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt to lead a rapid-transit task force, whose final report recommended some of the improvements announced by Transit in 2006.
Wyatt is now calling the $142-million plan "a bloody disaster" and has called the task force he once led a waste of time and money.
"We have great front-line employees, great workers, but there are far too many managers living in their comfort zone," said Wyatt, who has spent the past six weeks criticizing the city utility.
"We found the money, but the money has to be spent and those projects have to be implemented on a timely basis."
Fort Rouge Coun. Jenny Gerbasi, city council's most vocal rapid-transit advocate, said Winnipeg Transit owes riders an explanation.
"Riders have been waiting a long time for better transit -- both rapid transit and these improvements. So where are they?" she asked. "I don't want to start blaming people, but we need to find out what's going on inside that department... there needs to be transparency."
The sorry state of the upgrades was laid out on May 23 in a finance report on open capital projects.
Winnipeg Transit, however, said the upgrades are rolling out as planned, as money required to pay for major capital upgrades must be saved up over several budget years. "In general, project delivery is occurring," an unnamed city spokesperson said in an e-mail.
Transit director Dave Wardrop concurred, but said he's not comfortable answering questions regarding specific projects. He said he would have to review the CFO's report before he could comment.
Earlier this week, Katz asked Wardrop to pick up the pace when it comes to creating more diamond lanes and queue-jumping lanes, the mayor said.
"All the bus drivers I talk to very much support diamond lanes with enforcement, and queue-jumping," Katz said. "I can emphatically let you know I have told the department (this) is a priority."
A report on the viability of articulated buses is also due out soon, the mayor added. And Glen Laubenstein, Winnipeg's new chief administrative officer, will keep a close eye on Winnipeg Transit, the mayor pledged.
"I believe some of these (upgrades) are in the process of being made, but there is no doubt in my mind we should be doing more, and we should be doing it faster," Katz said.
bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca
No so rapid transitIn February 2006, Mayor Sam Katz announced a $142-million plan to upgrade Winnipeg Transit over the following six years by purchasing new buses, creating more amenities for passengers and improving infrastructure on the street. Two years later, some of the upgrades are either incomplete or behind schedule. Here's a sample of amenities that were promised but Winnipeg Transit riders have yet to see: Diesel-electric hybrid buses In 2006, $17 million was set aside to purchase hybrid articulated buses, but only $5.3 million was actually spent -- and the city is still evaluating whether "bendy buses" can actually navigate Winnipeg's snowy streets. Regular buses A $22.5-million order for 50 new low-floor buses did not get filled last year. Manufacturer New Flyer was behind schedule, Coun. Mike O'Shaughnessy said. Fare-collection system In 2007, the city started squirreling away $2 million toward a $10.5-million project that will see new cash boxes that can count coins automatically or validate swipe cards installed on buses. No cash boxes have been installed. A city spokesperson said "the project is proceeding as planned" and "will be completed on time in 2012." Real-time "next bus" electronic information The city was supposed to roll out a prototype of an airport-style arrival sign, devoting $78,000 toward the project in 2004. No money was spent through the end of 2007, but a city spokesperson said some hardware has been installed and the project is now proceeding as planned. Portage Avenue transit shelters Transit planned to upgrade shelters along a downtown stretch of Portage Avenue at a cost of $150,000. Only $12,000 was spent to the end of last year. University of Manitoba transit centre Transit planned to spend $110,000 on the university's transit hub in 2006 but only completed a third of the centre by the end of 2007. Polo Park transit centre Similarly, $227,000 was devoted to a new hub at Winnipeg's largest shopping mall in 2006. Only $10,000 was spent by the end of 2007. A further $398,000 slated for 2007 was not touched at all. St. Vital Centre terminal upgrade In 2007, Transit was supposed to upgrade its facility at Winnipeg's second-largest mall to the tune of $100,000. None of those funds were touched. On-board security cameras Digital cameras were supposed to be installed on buses in 2006 at a cost of $1.1 million. They're finally coming this year, now that Transit siphoned off another $1.8 from the diamond-lane budget, with council approval. Diamond lanes and queue-jumping lanes Transit planned to spend $6.9 million last year on dedicated lanes for buses and intersection enhancements, but only spent $856,000 - and then diverted $1.8 million to the security cameras. Wireless bus protocols A communication system that would allow buses to automatically relay their positions to Transit headquarters was planned for 2006 at a cost of $150,000. It doesn't exist. On-board "next stop" announcements In 2006, every bus was supposed to be equipped with a computerized voice that announces bus stops. The $3-million program is finally being rolled out this year. Bus radios At the start of this year, only $846,00 has been spent on a $6-million radio-replacement program originally authorized in 2003. |