Most Winnipeggers believe transit has gotten worse, poll suggests

Janet Pidgeon used to be able to take one bus from Osborne Village to her clinic, hospital, and library. But that changed with the public transit overhaul in June of last year. I thought, well, give it a chance, but it wasn't good. It's way more inconvenient, not user-friendly. For her, the new routes and stops meant more transfers, waiting and walking, more staying at home. Like I'm not the only senior and seniors like just were giving up like and so many more people were applying for the handy transit because they just couldn't get to to medical appointments or to places by bus. This election in Winnipeg she says frustration over public transit will help guide her vote. It's a biggie it's a biggie yeah of course because I'm not the only one having problems with it. After housing, public transit has the biggest disapproval among some city services according to Abacus Data. In its recent survey done for CBC News, 60% of respondents said public transit is worse now than it was four years ago. 42% said it's a lot worse. A margin of error can't be calculated for the survey because it was done online. This Winnipegger agrees. Claudia Ferrafino left her job in retail because she didn't feel safe on the bus. I used to work like you know closing shifts and it was really like unsafe and like it was getting worse. And some have mixed views. It's gotten better in some ways and worse in in some other ways. I've appreciated the extension of the blue line and and the frequent routes. Winnipeg transit says it's adding and relocating stops based on ongoing feedback. A spokesperson says they've also added buses to certain routes and extended others, adding more changes may be necessary. The transit union says with a new garage on Oak Point Highway and full driver shields on the way, they want the next council to prioritize new fare and radio systems. President James Van Irwin says the union isn't endorsing a candidate for mayor. We don't see anybody out there who's really progressively involved in the transit system. You know, we hear some saying they want to go back to the old system, which is not going to happen. You know, it's just not cost effective. In a commuter city dominated by car traffic, it's unclear how much displeasure in transit could sway the election. But for Janet Pidgeon, she'll be booking a ride with Winnipeg Transit Plus to make her voice count on October 28th. Rosanna Hempel, CBC News, Winnipeg.