Construction projects across the city have rerouted buses, leading to delays of up to 25 minutes for many passengers.
Jon Hendel, planning and marketing analyst for Thunder Bay Transit, said construction projects along main transit lines, such as Memorial Avenue, have caused delays for some passengers of nearly half an hour.
Hendel added that it’s difficult for people to make connections because buses are rerouted to other roads.
“There’s more than a dozen construction projects going on throughout Thunder Bay, which is affecting the schedules of transit,” Hendel said. “Buses are delayed, connections are harder to make. We’re recommending passengers go at least one run earlier then what the scheduled time is just so there’s that buffer time especially if you have to make a doctor’s appointment or go for work.
“We saw construction detours all summer but right now it seems like it is all culminating to get that last rush done before winter comes. This is definitely the peak of the summer.”
Some transit riders who spoke with tbnewswatch.com said they weren’t frustrated with the delays and praised the bus drivers for their efforts.
Shawn Allaire rode the bus with her five-year-old grandson Ethan and said she hasn’t noticed any delays.
She said she enjoyed the public transit that Thunder Bay has to offer and didn’t care too much about the delays or the construction.
“I don’t have to worry about driving or car insurance,” Allaire said. “I don’t see any really disturbance in service. The service has been wonderful.”
Joann Krouse, a frequent bus rider, said she has had a few problems adjusting to the detour routes and a few times her bus fell behind schedule but only by a few minutes.
Despite those two issues, she said she thought that the service provided was excellent.
“Generally speaking, they are doing an excellent job,” Krouse said. “There are sometimes a few minute delays in catching the bus but other than that they are meeting their quota. They are here at the Water Street Terminal on time.
“The problem I had was that there was no indication at my bus stop that its route has changed or that it went back to normal. That’s my only complaint.”
Doreen Winters shared Krouse’s feelings and said she hadn’t noticed any major delays either.
She said the only delay she experience was a few days ago when the bus fell behind by about eight minutes.
“Other than that they have been pretty well on schedule,” Winters said.
