REGINA — Regina Transit has announced some new initiatives this week, Including a new bus service and a break on fares for all kids under age 13.
The new bus service is the Aurora bus route in the east end of the city. It is an extension of the number 50 Victoria Express, and includes four new bus stops to service Costco, Landmark Cinemas and surrounding businesses in the newly developed Aurora neighborhood.
Buses will run at 30-minute intervals from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and then at 60-minute intervals from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., from Monday through Saturday. The route will also run Sundays and holidays at 60-minute intervals from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. those days.
The other big news is that children under age 13 or in Grade 8 can now ride Regina transit for free.
City Council approved the fare change in July of this year as part of the city’s Transit Master Plan, to help alleviate financial barriers for families and encourage transit riding during childhood. Young riders will not be required to show their ID to prove their age or their grade — it is an honour system, and drivers will use their discretion to have youth ride for free.
The changes started Sunday, and were announced to reporters at a media event Monday south of Costco, where reporters saw the Regina Transit No. 50 bus roll into the new transit shelter on Optimist Drive.
“This will improve options for our residents and workers that works out in this area and businesses and restaurants in this area,” said Brad Bells, director of Transit and Fleet.
Bells noted workers and residents very much wanted the new route, which was approved in the last budget cycle. It means Regina Transit now meets the requirements for service to the Aurora area.
As for extending free fares to all youth under 13, “if we can give opportunities to our youth they will have more opportunities to use transit and become lifelong members of transit and use it in the future," Bells said. "So that’s a really good opportunity for us, and again it’s good for families that makes it more affordable for anyone 13 and under to ride transit for free.”
Bells said other municipalities have moved in this direction as well. Revenue from riders aged 13 and under last year was $2,500; Bells said that is an amount Regina Transit can absorb. He told reporters he believes ridership for that age group was about 4,000 annually, but now they expect that number to increase.
There has been recent talk at City Hall of making transit free for those 18 and under, but that would be a more costly option as more of that age group uses transit. That idea is still being considered.
Routes, fares and schedules can be found on Regina.ca/transit and service notices can be found on Twitter and Facebook; you can also download Transit Live to track your Regina bus in real time.
