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![\"JOHN](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4293683_web1_250630_transit_1.jpg\")
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JOHN WOODS \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
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Winnipeg Transit is warning it may earn $18.4 million less from rider fares this year than the 2026 budget called for.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
City council\u2019s finance chairman said the system overhaul last June, which changed virtually every Winnipeg Transit route, appears to have led some Winnipeggers to switch to other forms of transportation.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor some who were regular bus riders, the new system is not as ideal as the (old one.) For a lot of people that the new system is better for, (many) haven\u2019t necessarily tried Transit yet,\u201d said Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan).<\/p>\n
Browaty said old technology doesn\u2019t help, which is why he\u2019s seeking newer payment options on buses.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m trying to push that to be replaced as soon as possible. Most cities now, you are able to use an Interac card or a credit card to pay for your fares,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs of the first quarter, Transit is forecasting a reduction in revenues of $18.4 million.\u201d<\/p>\n
A city press release notes people who board buses without paying, as well as fewer international students and foreign workers (who tend to be frequent riders), are also key factors in the reduced-fare forecast.<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Transit did not grant an interview request Monday.<\/p>\n
In an email, the service noted ridership actually began to decline in late 2024 following federal immigration policy changes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis resulted in a drop in international students and temporary foreign workers living in Winnipeg. We know these demographics rely heavily on public transit. Transit systems across Canada have since experienced a decline in ridership,\u201d spokesman Brandon Logan wrote.<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Transit buses had an estimated 164,482 average weekday boardings on fixed routes throughout winter 2025-26, down 11.1 per cent from 185,038 the previous winter.<\/p>\n
In winter 2018-19, the average was 196,352.<\/p>\n
The numbers are estimates based on automatic passenger counters in a portion of the overall fleet and don\u2019t count on-request rides.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n One city official says the Winnipeg Transit overhaul last June, which changed virtually every route, appears to have led some Winnipeggers to quit riding the bus and switch to other forms of transportation.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Logan noted Transit has also made several scheduling changes since its new network was added, based on customer feedback. That includes extending some night-time service and adding trips on some main routes as well as some smaller community routes.<\/p>\n Still, the union representing Winnipeg Transit drivers blamed the network overhaul as a key reason why some former riders stopped taking the bus.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re noticing it at the fare box. There\u2019s a lot more people that are not riding the bus,\u201d said Derek Hanley, vice-president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2026 cut the weekend and night services back so drastically that they\u2019re forcing people to use other modes of transportation.\u201d<\/p>\n Hanley said many routes actually remain well-used, though on-request service sees less demand. Drivers have also spotted online complaints from people who said they waited 20 minutes for a bus, only to give up and book a ride-hailing service.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2026 cut the weekend and night services back so drastically that they\u2019re forcing people to use other modes of transportation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Hanley said community safety officers and a recently announced increased police presence on buses should help ensure more fares are paid, though efforts so far are just starting to make a difference.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s making a dent but we need it to make a much bigger impact,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He said safety improvements are also desperately needed, as riders who witness driver assaults, or are harassed themselves, are more likely to switch to a different form of transportation.<\/p>\n Browaty said a new \u201cTry Transit\u201d ad campaign aims to help raise awareness of improvements to the city\u2019s bus routes and, hopefully, attract more riders.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \u201cThe new primary transit network was a very ambitious relaunch of Transit services in Winnipeg. Basically, every route was touched. We\u2019re getting a lot of positive feedback\u2026. But there are some trips, some certain instances that are not as good in the new system. We\u2019ve identified some of those shortcomings and we continue to make changes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Overall, Winnipeg Transit expects to end 2026 with a $17.8-million shortfall, which also factors in rising fuel costs and higher Workers Compensation Board claims, offset by savings from vacant positions.<\/p>\n joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n X: @joyanne_pursaga<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Joyanne Pursaga Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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