Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Friday, August 3, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Improve it before you market it.

That was the message Yellowknife city councillors heard as they discussed a recent marketing plan for the capital's transit system.

According to city documents, a recent study found "the transit system as it currently exists is inadequate."

"We need to do a complete re-think of transit from the bottom up," said Coun. Paul Falvo.

"This confirms what regular transit riders already know."

The $30,000 Yellowknife Transit System Marketing Strategy identified several problems with current service, including late and early buses, drivers skipping stops entirely and trouble with routes and scheduling.

The study concluded that attempts to increase ridership through marketing - bus passes, cross-promotion with other groups and advertising - would be ineffective until these problems were addressed.

Falvo added he appreciated some of the "low-hanging fruit" the study provided easy changes such as placing schedules lower on poles and changing them over to 12-hour time.

Councillors made further suggestions such as "express" buses and overflow buses, even alternating fares based on peak times - a hallmark of the London Underground system - to help improve the system.

During the meeting, administrators said another $40,000 study is underway to look deeper into future routes.

Coun. Dave McCann, meanwhile, took a different tact, though he supported moves to improve transit in the short-term.

"It's on longer-term support that I'm more conditional," he said.

McCann said he thought funds might be better spent on clearing sidewalks, and other measures to "encourage people to walk more," citing rising obesity and diabetes rates.

"We're a town small enough where it's possible to walk," he said.

Coun. David Wind, meanwhile, took issue with the "negativity" of the report.

"I believe our public transit basically is quite good," he said. "We should be proud we can deliver this to our residents."

"We're lucky for a community of our size."

Input for the study was drawn from public consultations, meetings with Ecology North, focus groups and a survey completed by 232 Yellowknifers, targeting both users and non-users of the system.

The present system has four buses, which cost $783,000 per year to operate. This also includes the cost of Yellowknife's Accessibility Transit System. Thirty-five per cent of those costs are recouped from fares.

The 2007 budget includes $60,000 for the Transit Marketing Plan, new bus shelters and route posts.