THUNDER BAY — Passenger volumes on Thunder Bay Transit are creeping upward as Ontario continues to relax its COVID-19 restrictions.
Pre-pandemic, close to 4.4 million passenger trips were made each year on Thunder Bay Transit buses.
Last year, there were only about 1.8 million passenger trips, or 41 per cent of normal.
However, last month the passenger volume edged upward to 44 per cent of normal, and transit manager Brad Loroff expects March will finish with a passenger volume close to 50 per cent.
"The returning ridership, albeit slow, is an indication of what we are seeing with pandemic-related control measures being lightened. I think it's a sign that people are maybe more ready and willing to start commuting again using transit," Loroff said.
He said he thinks the current trend is sustainable, and hopes passenger volume will eventually approach pre-pandemic levels "but the pace at which it does is what we are unsure of, which is why we're doing our monthly monitoring."
All bus routes continue to operate, however the Crosstown service which usually runs every 15 minutes continues to run only every half-hour because of reduced demand.
The Crosstown stops at both Lakehead University and Confederation College.
"The reason they're at 30 minutes," Loroff said, is reduced student ridership.
"Typically we would be heading into our summer service that would have 30-minute service on those Crosstown routes anyway. I think the real change we'll see next is a return to those regular 15-minute service levels later this fall."
Thunder Bay Transit has a fleet of 48 low-floor accessible conventional buses.
In peak hours, 33 of these buses are on the street at the same time.
Ontario regulations require masks to be worn on all public transit vehicles and in transit stations until April 27.
