Thunder Bay mulls over $8M in transit changes

A consultant says Thunder Bay Transit can increase the number of people who take the bus by more than a million riders, if it changes some routesand creates a more efficient bus system.

City councillors heard the details Monday night on how to expand the city's transit system, make it more efficient, and reduce the number of fare classes.

Implementing all of the ideas would have a capital cost of more than $8 million.

Dennis Fletcher, the consultant whowrote the plan,said the costs may not get passed onto the city, if more passengers take the bus.

"If those ridership increases didn't materialize in the two years after the implementation of the route plan, neither would the additional costs," he said.

The new transit master plan also recommends some minor changes to how much it costs to take the bus.

Fletcher said reducing how many different types of fares are available will make it easier for transit to provide more ways for riders to pay.

"It's kind of tinkering," Fletcher said. "We're not really recommending an increase in the overall fare."

Any changes to the city's transit system won't take place until September. But before that, city council will get another chance to review the plan in June.