City greenlights transit master plan

The City of Brandon approved its transit master plan at Monday evening’s council meeting.

The plan, to be implemented in three phases, will create seven completely new bus routes, move from one to three transit hubs, increase evening bus services and extend operating hours on Sunday.

Council unanimously approved the changes, which have gone through years of prior engagement with the public and Watt Consulting Group.

Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett said he was glad to see the plan approved, but noted that small changes could still be coming.

“We’re trying to have as efficient use of transit as possible, get people as quickly as they can, as cost effectively as they can to places,” Fawcett said after Monday’s meeting.

He said the plan is “a good step” in accomplishing those goals.

During the meeting, Coun. Heather Karrouze (Ward 1) said “it’s fabulous” to see more transit stops on Braecrest Drive, and said she wants to see the exchange there moved into the Corral Centre, instead of on the side of 18th Street North.

Courtney Arndt, the city’s manager of transit services, said that is something the city can look into and that city officials have had conversations with the property owner already.

Arndt on Monday said the changes would come into effect in three main phases, with the first one happening this fall. The Phase 1 changes include implementing two new bus routes on the North Hill.

The plan is also for the city to eventually extend the 30-minute intervals between buses up until 9 p.m. and extend operating hours on Sunday until 10 p.m.

The council report shows that the extended hours would mean an increased cost of $319,000 in 2027.

Arndt on Monday afternoon said that would likely come into effect next year.

In total, the seven new bus routes would almost replace the existing network. Six of the seven routes would service residential areas while an express route would serve 18th Street between the Corral Centre and Shoppers Mall.

The second phase, with two more bus routes including the “express” route along 18th Street, is expected to be implemented next summer. Both of those routes would have buses going in both directions.

The last phase could be implemented in 2028, Arndt said, but the master plan has it scheduled for 2030.

Additional routes could also have buses going in both directions on their routes, depending on ridership, she said.

The consultant report cost the city $180,656, city spokesperson Merrilea Metcalf said.

Industrial routes aren’t affected by the transit plan.

» alambert@brandonsun.com