Residents living in southeast Saskatoon will soon have access to a direct bus route to the downtown thanks to a non-stop express route set to start next month.
The new downtown direct routes will travel from the Lakeview, Lakeridge and Lakewood neighbourhoods to downtown via the best route for optimum travel time. Two routes will run on a schedule to accommodate typical work start and end times. In addition to the direct route to downtown set to start July 2, two other routes will be direct to the university beginning in September.
The “Transit South-East Transit Pilot Project” is an effort to cut transportation times. According to a city news release, the reason these three neighbourhoods were selected is due to the average travel time of 50 minutes to downtown.
"We want to become a real viable option for people taking their own private automobile," said transit manager, Bob Howe.
It is hoped that these direct routes will complement the city's bus rapid transit system that will support future growth. But in addition to future goals, transit officials believe the impact could be immediate.
"The importance of getting people out of their cars and onto the bus is less traffic congestion, make it easier for people to get in and around our city and furthermore it’s better for our environment,” said Howe.
City transit will review these new routes in one year, and if it is considered successful, the plan will be expanded to other neighbourhoods.
